War-torn pages

Here are two of Carlo Carrenho’s reports from his Publishing Perspectives “Around the book world” report for 1 June. Russia: Knizhnaya Industriya reports on several indicators from the Russian book market. A joint review by the Red Square Book Festival and Brand Analytics on changing reading habits in Russia found that 51% of Russian-language social media users still prefer print despite growth in digital. The review identifies the “aestheticization” of reading as a defining trend for 2025–2026, with premium covers, illustrations, and book design attracting more than 500,000 annual social media views. VTsIOM data also shows that Russia’s reading population has increased by half over the past decade to 66%. According to the magazine, ebooks account for about 8% of the Russian book market and are growing 20% annually, while audiobooks rose more than 30% in 2025 and now generate more than 60% of digital revenue. The figures provide a useful snapshot of the Russian book market. Despite…