How to encourage non-readers to read

25% of British adults rarely read books for enjoyment, according to research, with some citing a lack of time and a whopping 40% saying they’d just rather do something else. The results, from a 2013 YouGov survey, highlight how many people in society generally don’t value books or reading for pleasure and how they have cut these pastimes out of their lives entirely.

The problem with this is reading is actually good for you. According to research published by Neurology, regularly reading increases your memory function and decreases mental decline as you get older. Some papers even suggest reading reduces the risk of Alzheimer’s; however long-term arguments won’t win over critics who say reading just isn’t as relaxing as watching TV, yet a study by Sussex University can. Researchers found that reading can reduce stress by up to 68%, paired with the improvements in sleep that consuming less blue light provides, it’s clear we should all be reading.

I actually fell back in love with reading because I read books I would actually enjoy

So how do we convince people to read more? Firstly, perhaps we should address why people are so turned off by picking up a book. For most people reading can be associated with dull English classes in which they were forced to read ‘boring’ books, such as the infamous Of Mice And Men. Yet if they’ve gotten over this association and found a genre they actually enjoy, be it romance or crime, people can then be shamed by peers as their choices are not highbrow enough. Inevitably rather than reading laborious novels from the 19th century people are just not reading at all.

I used to be one of those people. I looked at reading books as a chore and thought watching endless shows on Netflix was both more fun and relaxing. Then I started travelling and watching TV on my phone in airport waiting rooms or hostel common areas was not appealing. Everyone around me read battered old books traded with fellow travellers so like the sheep that I am, I started reading again.

I actually fell back in love with reading because I read books I would actually enjoy. Rather than being prescriptive and reading dull novels written by authors who died 200 years ago, I read stories written around my interests, from Tales of a Female Nomad to The Hunger Games in Spanish.

The central tenant in convincing people to read more should be how it is impossible that they won’t find a book that aligns with their interests and that they can enjoy. People balk when they find out someone doesn’t watch TV, ‘not even Game of Thrones?!’ It seems so outlandish because seemingly everyone enjoys watching something be it Sci-Fi, drama, or one of those CSI series. The same principle applies with books.

It may be a cliché but it’s undoubtedly true: the limits really are endless when it comes to choosing a book

Other arguments may crop up as to why someone ‘can’t read’, that can easily be dispelled. The myth that it’s too expensive can be dismissed with a trip to any library or charity shop. Leamington Spa in particular has several great charity shops with wide selections of fiction and non-fiction, the uncontested champion being Oxfam’s bookshop, in which you can browse hundreds of affordable titles without the lingering smell of old clothes.

Kindles and other e-readers are another great option that have increased accessibility to reading. Websites such as Project Gutenburg have thousands of books that are free to download, from Sherlock Holmes to Pride and Prejudice. These websites aren’t illegal (although for some that wouldn’t be an issue). The downloads are free as the copyright has lapsed meaning the books are now in the public domain.

It may be a cliché but it’s undoubtedly true: the limits really are endless when it comes to choosing a book. Whatever you read in whatever form will actively improve your quality of life in both the short and long term. So what are you waiting for?