As the UK launches its National Year of Reading in 2026, a chorus of cultural doomsayers is predicting the end of civilisation itself, pointing to the supposed death of the novel and a catastrophic decline in reading. Yet, a closer examination reveals these apocalyptic forecasts are wide of the mark. The life of the mind, and the act of reading itself, are not only surviving but adapting with remarkable resilience in our digital age.
The Anatomy of a Modern Panic
The current wave of anxiety was crystallised by commentators like James Marriott of The Times, who painted a grim picture of a "post-literate society". He located a golden age of literary culture in the 18th century, suggesting the Enlightenment's democratisation of information has been in steady decline ever since. Marriott argues we are now living through a counter-revolution where "books are dying" and "reading is in freefall", blaming the smartphone as a watershed menace in human history.
This view found an echo in The Sunday Times, where historian Niall Ferguson warned of upcoming generations as "outright barbarians" facing a fundamental civilisational crisis. His thunderous conclusion declared that "the fate of humanity" is at stake. This pervasive dread is often driven by a nostalgic belief that books and literacy are not what they used to be, a sentiment that has surfaced repeatedly since the Renaissance.
Beyond the Doom: The Complex Reality of Reading Today
While concerns about diminishing attention spans, amplified by psychologists like Jonathan Haidt, author of The Anxious Generation, are valid, they don't equate to a post-literate society. Our world is, in fact, saturated with words—trillions of digital words, mostly in English. The form of the book has evolved from Gutenberg's press to Kindle, audio, and PDF, but its essential function remains recognisable.
Reading has become more complex, not less. The "sovereign reader" endures as a free agent, and the human brain's innate hunger for narrative is unchanged. We are storytelling creatures wired for meaning. Evidence suggests we are adapting to the digital renaissance, finding new ways to "get lost in a book".
The Unexpected Champions: BookTok and Adaptive Innovation
Far from killing literary culture, new platforms are revitalising it. Take BookTok, the literary community on TikTok. Initially dismissed, it has been instrumental to phenomenal successes like Madeline Miller's Song of Achilles. Since 2021, TikTok has driven the sale of around 20 million new books annually. Princeton professor Yarimar Bonilla has praised BookTok as "an escape from the barrage of dread" and a medium that actively encourages reading.
Meanwhile, the rise of Artificial Intelligence, while feared by some authors, is also spurring innovation. Initiatives like Books By People, a UK startup founded by a member of Graham Greene's family, are creating stamps of authenticity to guarantee human creative input, responding to a desire to protect what readers hold sacred.
Vigilance and Common Sense for the Year of Reading
The novel is not dead. Literature is undergoing a recalibration, much like the historical transition from scroll to codex. Publishers are not facing ruin; new imprints are blossoming. Writers continue their "intolerable wrestle with words and meaning," driven by the addictive pursuit of originality.
The upcoming National Year of Reading is a moment for both vigilance and common sense. While technology presents distractions, the core joy of reading—solitary, private, and liberating—persists. The end is not nigh for books. In fact, the act of reading, in all its evolving forms, is poised for a vibrant future. The best response to the doomsayers might simply be to pick up a book and read closer.
