The Booker Prizes reveals new data on who is reading translated fiction
Who is reading translated fiction?
The Booker Prize Foundation, working from newly compiled data from Neilsen, has found that readers of translated fiction in the UK are significantly younger than fiction readers generally.
Published in April 2023, the latest data compiled by Nielsen for the Booker Prize Foundation revealed important insights into the purchasers of translated fiction. These important findings will allow the industry to better market and appeal to this group, further pushing these titles into the public consciousness and promoting translated fiction and its power to transcend borders and boundaries through reading.
The study revealed a number of interesting findings about purchasers of translated fiction.
How many translated fiction copies were sold in 2022?
- In 2022, over 1.9 million copies of translated fiction were sold in the UK, an increase of 22% on 2021.
- Almost half (47%) of the top 30 selling translated fiction titles of 2022 in the UK were translated from Japanese.
Who is buying translated fiction?
- Nearly 1 in 2 translated fiction buyers in the UK (48%) are aged between 13 to 34 years old, with retirees making up 8% of the translated fiction market.
- Nearly 1 in 2 translated fiction buyers in the UK (48%) are male, compared to just 32% male fiction buyers.
- Translated fiction buyers are more than twice as likely to purchase non-fiction books.
You can read more about the report and its findings here.
The International Booker Prize
The winner of this year’s International Booker Prize was be announced on Tuesday, 23 May, as Time Shelter, written by Georgi Gospodinov and translated by Angela Rodel. You can find out more about the winner here.
The Booker Prizes asked the International Booker Prize 2023 judges to explain what impressed and delighted them most about each book on this year’s shortlist – and why they are relevant to today’s world. Read why they think you should read the International Booker Prize 2023 shortlist.
Find out more about the International Booker Prize and all of the previous winners as a way of celebrating translated fiction with your reading group or organisation.
You can also find out the six things to know about the 2023 shortlist, as well as discovering reading guides to accompany this year’s shortlist including this year’s winner Time Shelter.
The Booker Prizes – Book of the Month
For over 50 years, the Booker Prizes have celebrated the world’s most outstanding fiction, whether written in or translated into English.
Each month they’ll be a shining a spotlight on a different book from the Booker Library, and sharing reading guides, extracts, opinion pieces and competitions.
The June Book of the Month is The Long Song by Andrea Levy.
Find out more about the Book of the Month in this article.
Get involved
- For librarians and teachers, we have a free promotional pack to help you celebrate the International Booker Prize available in our shop
- Your reading group can select one of the shortlisted titles for your next reading group pick! You can find reading guides to support your discussion here
- Have you read any of the shortlisted books or this year’s winner? Share your thoughts with us on Twitter and Instagram using #InternationalBooker2023, or click on a title above to leave a review
