Authors are finding creative ways to promote their work in more immersive ways that bring travel and culture together. In London, for example, fashion house Reformation hosts ‘Ref Reads’ where writers read excerpts of their latest books in the Covent Garden store, while Hatchards, London’s oldest bookshop, hosts gatherings for readers to discuss feminist literature. The inaugural Selfridges Book Club invited journalist Pandora Sykes to interview three of the most exciting literary names of the year: Madeline Cash, Stephanie Sy-Quia and Imani Thompson.
The community benefits provide a tangible reason behind this growing trend. According to Eventbrite, book club events grew by 31 per cent in 2024 compared to the previous year, and these events are now heading overseas, with the recent rise in reading retreats and creative escapes only making them more popular. On social media, BookTok inspired a new wave of travel itineraries, as agencies began to tap into ways to turn online conversations into real-world experiences.
There’s also a growing universal desire to go offline. In January, Dazed deemed 2026 the year of analogue and on TikTok, #analog has 590.3 million views. Beyond the obvious irony, it’s clear people are desperate for a reason to switch off and be present – and both travel and reading are sure-fire ways to do just that. Whether you’re sprawling on a beach with a good book, curled up by a fire with an unputdownable story, or lost in the depths of a hardback as you hurtle through landscapes on a huffing train, books have the power to transport us across borders, oceans and worlds.
The rise of set-jetting – where travellers pilgrimage to the filming locations of cult movies – is also spilling into the world of books. It’s likely to grow later this year, too. We’re set to have a Jane Austen autumn with the release of Pride & Prejudice and Sense & Sensibility, which is sure to bring plenty of bookish travellers to Hampshire; the upcoming Netflix adaptation of The Chronicles of Narnia is sure to introduce the story to a whole new generation of travellers, and the 100th anniversary of Winnie-The-Pooh has piqued interest in the real Hundred Acre Wood (Ashdown Forest in Sussex). As part of its 2026 travel trends report, Skyscanner revealed that 49 per cent of travellers “have booked, or would consider, a trip inspired by literature”, while “hotel bookings using our ‘library’ filter are up 70 per cent globally” versus the previous year.
Books are being restored to their natural place in society – something to be revered, consumed, and respected as a key branch of culture in today’s world, not a declining pastime. Thanks to the likes of Dua Lipa, Livraria Lello, and Aesop’s Queer Library, reading has been reinstated as an effective way to remain culturally and politically informed, and a way not just to rebel peacefully, but to experience the world’s many layers and colours, whether that’s exploring independent bookshops, sitting down with a paperback at a quiet cafe, or joining a book club in a new city. “Reading and travel are intrinsically linked,” says Rebecca Sinclair, chief brand officer at Penguin Books UK, in Skyscanner’s trends report. “Books inspire real-world journeys, which in turn create the space for people to lose themselves in books.”
