The CEO of Waterstones and the CEO of Barnes & Noble, James Daunt, has praised social media for encouraging young people to read “real” books in paper form. During an awards ceremony at Windsor Castle, Daunt highlighted the positive impact of trends such as “BookTok” on the TikTok platform.
Daunt, who was honored with a CBE for his contribution to publishing by the Royal Princess, told the PA news agency, “There has been this innovation and change, but it has strengthened reading and reading real books.” He also mentioned the role of audiobooks in promoting reading among young people. The founder of Daunt Books referred to the stronger position of the bookselling industry compared to a decade ago when it faced threats from Amazon and the rising popularity of e-books.
When asked about the key factor that contributed to Waterstones overcoming the difficulties of the past decade, Daunt replied, “Ironically, by doing less and less. The idea was to let every shop do what it believed made the most sense.” He expressed his delight at meeting the Royal Princess during his award ceremony, describing it as “wonderful.”
Daunt added, “The British royal family has long supported literature and reading, so naturally, I feel immensely honored.” In the same ceremony, David Clarke, CEO of the British Paralympic Association, was awarded an OBE for his services to Paralympic sports. Clarke, who represented Great Britain in blind football during the 2012 Paralympics in London, said he had a “really good conversation” with the Royal Princess about the impact of the 2012 Paralympics and the upcoming games in Paris.
In an interview with the PA news agency, he said, “The Royal Princess is known for her extraordinary support for Olympic and Paralympic sports, and she understands very well what it’s like to be part of the amazing Olympic or Paralympic environment.” Clarke, who worked in banking for 24 years alongside his sports career, expressed his excitement about the return of spectators to the stands during Paralympic events after the Tokyo Games were impacted by Covid. “It’s a great opportunity to relive almost the whole history of London, but right next to us, across the water.” “We believe that Paris will do an amazing job as it is at the heart of the city, and we are very excited to go there.”
He expressed hope that this year’s Paralympics will inspire the next generation to have a “positive approach to disability and how it manifests in everyday life.” “We create this incredible spark on the field, and we intend to use it as a currency that helps us change attitudes and behaviors towards disabled people off the field.” A moment of pride for Clarke was scoring the winning goal in the first match of the Great Britain blind football team during the 2012 Paralympics against Spain. Reminiscing about this touching event, he shared, “I was so excited that I hugged the referee. It was an extraordinary moment to score such a goal and see the whole stadium and people around the world going crazy for Paralympic sports.”
FAQ section based on the main topics and information in the article:
Q: Who is James Daunt and why was he honored with a CBE?
A: James Daunt is the CEO of Waterstones and the CEO of Barnes & Noble. He was honored with a CBE for his contribution to publishing by the Royal Princess.
Q: What social media trends did James Daunt appreciate?
A: James Daunt appreciated social media for encouraging young people to read “real” books in paper form, including the “BookTok” trend on the TikTok platform.
Q: What were the threats to the bookselling industry a decade ago?
A: The bookselling industry faced threats a decade ago from Amazon and the rising popularity of e-books.
Q: How did Waterstones overcome the difficulties of the past decade?
A: James Daunt said Waterstones overcame difficulties by allowing each shop to do what it believed made the most sense.
Q: What did James Daunt discuss with the Royal Princess during the award ceremony?
A: James Daunt mentioned that he had a “wonderful” conversation with the Royal Princess about the impact of the 2012 Paralympics and the upcoming games in Paris.
Keywords:
1. Waterstones – link
2. Barnes & Noble – link
3. BookTok – link
Related Sources:
1. The Guardian – link
2. BBC News – link
The source of the article is from the blog enp.gr