Why is reading a turn-off?

Half of UK grown-ups don't consume books regularly, finds a new survey. Helen Coffey asks where it all went wrong - and whether we can ever find our way back between the pages

- Helen Coffey

Two wise people had similar messages when it comes to the subject of kids. “Unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven,” said one. “I believe the children are our future. Teach them well and let them lead the way,” said the other. The first was Jesus, the second, Whitney Houston. Ten points to Gryffindor if you correctly guessed both.

I wouldn’t normally sling quotes from Eighties ballads and the New Testament together with such reckless abandon, but in this instance I feel compelled to. For some deeply distressing news has come to light: half of UK adults no longer read regularly, according to a new survey conducted by the Reading Agency. And the only bright spot I can see on the horizon is that the younger generation could still turn things around.

In one way, I don’t even blame the grown-ups involved. After the initial shock of seeing those figures – which also found that 15 per cent of UK adults have never read regularly for pleasure – I started to unpack my own literary habits. I’ve always classed myself as a Reader with a capital R, never knowingly without at least one book on the go. I used to carry a tome in my bag at all times – the idea of getting stranded somewhere, bookless and alone, being the stuff of nightmares. I used to eagerly anticipate an afternoon with nothing but a novel on the to-do list – stretched out on the sofa like a cat in a strip of sun, or curled up listening to the rain, devouring chapters as hours ticked by unheeded. I used to have a library card, belong to a book club, pack seven books for a week-long holiday and even (cringe) queue overnight to secure the latest Harry Potter releases.