Bestsellers: Popular Fiction Since 1900

This essential guide to the publishing industry offers a century-spanning analysis of bestselling fiction in the UK, tracking literary trends and commercial successes from 1900 through today's evolving market. The third edition features an updated introduction examining contemporary reading patterns, including the growing prominence of Black, Asian, and LGBTQIA+ voices in mainstream publishing. Readers will discover comprehensive data on fiction bestsellers alongside insightful commentary about genre popularity, bookselling shifts, and library borrowing statistics that reveal changing reader preferences over generations.

What makes this reference work particularly valuable is how it connects literary culture with broader social movements, showing how publishing reflects and shapes public consciousness. The expanded sections on children's literature and current literacy trends provide crucial context for understanding why certain books capture the cultural moment while others fade from memory. For aspiring writers, publishing professionals, and serious readers interested in the business behind the books, this volume offers indispensable perspective on what makes stories resonate across decades and what these patterns reveal about ourselves.