Books and paper celebrated around the world

Books and paper have continued to be championed this week. Firstly, Two Sides UK, a not-for-profit initiative for the print and paper industries, has reported that its new Love Paper Week was a big success.

Taking place between February 3rd and 7th, 2025, the five-day campaign was created to raise awareness of the environmental benefits of paper and paper-based packaging.

According to Two Sides a large number of companies and organisations around world got involved in the campaign to spread the message that paper is a highly sustainable, effective, and attractive medium of communication.

The initiative is the first of what is planned to be an annual event that will progressively increase activity and engagement around paper and its environmental advantages.

Recently print advertising has seen signs of a resurgence with figures from the Advertising Association (AA) and World Advertising Research Center (WARC) revealing that UK ad spending on direct mail increased significantly in Q3 of 2024.

Similar to Love Paper Week, the Independent Print Industries Association (IPIA) has recently announced its New Narrative for Print project, which is looking to understand the public perception of print and in turn, change its narrative.

Paper and board supplier, Elliott Baxter & Company (EBB), embraced the celebration of paper with several educational posts and projects. EBB shared facts and statistics from Two Sides including its emphasis on a recent study of the detrimental effects of heavy computer use by children.

Two Sides states: “In 2018, researchers examined 54 studies, involving more than 171,000 readers, that compared reading from digital text and printed text. They found that comprehension was better overall when people read printed as opposed to digital texts.”

The Love Paper Week activity comprised of a series of social media posts, giving different facts on paper, packaging, forest growth, education, and the environmental impact of paper compared to online media.

Support for the initiative was shown by groups such as the Professional Publishers Association, Denmaur, and Fedrigoni. The campaign also captured attention globally with messages of support from the Federation of European Producers of Envelopes and Light Packaging (FEPE) and LEIPA Group.

Speaking about the growth of the project, Josh Birch, campaign manager for Two Sides UK, says: “We are delighted at the response to the first Love Paper Week. The goal is to grow the event year on year to be a truly recognised week amongst the industry, businesses, and consumers.

Birch adds: “We want to mobilise everyone in the world of paper, from direct mail and print publishers to sack paper and corrugated card, to celebrate Love Paper Week every year.”

Two Sides UK shared the news of the initiative’s success on World Book Day, a day that also celebrates the power of print and literature.

For more information on Love Paper Week, go to: lovepaper.org/lovepaperweek

Championing Books

World Book Day is a UK and Ireland charity which looks to encourage the fun of reading. This year World Book Day highlighted research from the National Literacy Trust that shows reading is at its lowest levels since records began in 2005, with only one in three children saying they enjoy the activity.

Research by World Book Day and Beano Brain also found that children are much less likely to grow up as readers if their parents don’t read. With all this in mind World Book Day has encouraged the use of the increasingly popular mediums of podcasts and audiobooks to encourage reading.

World Book Day has encouraged the use of books and screens to encourage reading overall and has called on behavioural changes from parents to help make the activity less of a chore to children.

The charity also says there is a lack of awareness from some parents on the life benefits that reading at home can bring, as well as a belief that it is the job of schools to encourage reading.

Cassie Chadderton, chief executive officer of World Book Day, says: “To turn the tide and get more children reading for fun, we all need to recognise what our children are enjoying and reflect that in what they read. Our job as a charity is to get more children experiencing the life changing benefits of choosing reading, so let’s listen to children and give them reasons to find reading fun. 

“Supporting choice and embracing technology are simple steps to address our growing reading crisis, unlocking the benefits of reading for fun for generations to come.”  

Books have also been celebrated in the print industry this year. In January the British Printing Industries Federation (BPIF) held the British Book Design & Production Awards. The winners were announced at De Vere Grand Connaught Rooms in London in a ‘lavish’ awards ceremony.

The Folio Society was the outright winner of the night, finishing at the top of five categories including Book of the Year. The winning book, a special edition of Nineteen Eight-Four, was called a “worthy winner” by the judges who commented: “The book conveys astounding finishing, beautifully bound, designed and mesmerising illustrations that capture the feel of the book, with all aspects setting new heights”.

Roisin Scott from the National College of Art and Design, took home the trophy for her creative book – You Have Just Been Diagnosed with ADHD.

After the awards, guests received a copy of the Book of the Night, designed by EN-TE, printed by Halstan on Fedrigoni paper, and finished by Diamond Print Services.

In his opening speech, Charles Jarrold, chief executive officer at the BPIF, highlighted that UK book publishers saw sales of £1.8bn last year and that 80% of revenues came physical books.

Much like the initiatives and companies mentioned in this article have done, Jarrold stressed the importance of books in challenging perspectives, increasing human engagement, and spreading knowledge across the world.