TikTok and the National Literacy Trust (NLT) are introducing BookTok-inspired bookshelves across the UK. This approach piggybacks on the social media network’s viral nature and youth appeal, a TikTok phenomenon with nearly 200 billion views that has significantly influenced book sales and reading habits.
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The partnership seeks to address alarming statistics revealed by NLT research indicating that one in twelve children between the ages of five and 18 in the UK do not own a book. In addition to this, the daily reading rate among children aged eight to 18 is less than 30 per cent. By placing BookTok bookshelves in community hubs across 11 areas, including Nottingham, Birmingham, and Manchester, the initiative aims to make reading materials more accessible, especially in regions marked by poverty and low literacy.
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“Through this partnership we can tap into their interests and create opportunities to inspire and encourage reading among their peers; the benefits of which our research shows extend to all areas of their lives,” said Jason Vit, head of local areas at the National Literacy Trust. He stressed the strategy of meeting young people “where they are” and connecting in a way that resonates with them.
“We hope the BookTok Bookshelves will increase young people’s appetite for reading and therefore the demand for books, forming part of a reading ecosystem that includes schools, libraries and bookshops.”
Jason Vit, National Literacy Trust Head of Local Areas
Each bookshelf will be uniquely curated by local youth volunteers, catering to the varied interests and themes relevant to each community. In Nottingham, for instance, young readers can explore a diverse range of authors including Neil Gaiman and Malorie Blackman.
The initiative kicked off last week (May 10) at the Lenton Centre in Nottingham, with plans to expand to other cities by September. Vit shared the initiative’s vision, noting, “The idea is for young people, who may otherwise struggle to access books of their own for financial or other reasons, to borrow a book which appeals to them, share it with a friend who might enjoy it, too, and return it to the bookshelf for another young person to enjoy.”
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Ali Law, TikTok’s director of public policy and government affairs for the UK and Ireland, expressed pride in the partnership, highlighting the role of TikTok in connecting and inspiring young individuals. She said the company were “proud” to be working with the NLT to “harness the appeal of TikTok and its ability to connect and inspire young people, to motivate reading for pleasure, striving to boost literacy levels by increasing access to books across the UK”.