"Comics and audiobooks count too! Audiobooks have boomed in popularity in recent years the revenue they generated for UK publishers rose by almost a third in 2023-24 becoming an increasingly central part of the industry. But do they truly count as proper reading? Is listening to a book while doing the dishes, walking the dog or drifting off to sleep really as valuable as sitting down to read it? For authors, the publishing trade and those encouraging reading and literacy, the answer is increasingly yes."
"Reading is about the content and not the medium, says Debbie Hicks, the creative director of the Reading Agency, a charity that promotes the personal and social benefits of reading and leads nationwide reading programmes in schools, prisons and communities. Audio may have been traditionally viewed as a lesser medium, acknowledges Hicks, but we need to reframe what it means to be a reader and throw off these traditional value hierarchies linked to print and books."
Queen Camilla appeared in the Beano with Dennis the Menace and encouraged that comics and audiobooks count as reading. Audiobook revenue for UK publishers rose almost a third in 2023-24, making audio an increasingly central industry format. Debates continue about whether listening equals traditional reading, but advocates emphasize that reading is about content rather than medium. Audiobooks provide clear benefits for visually impaired, dyslexic, and time-poor people and can act as gateways for reluctant readers. More men listen to audiobooks weekly than women, and research indicates audio supports comprehension and vocabulary development.
Read at www.theguardian.com
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