Why I wanted to launch Readerama

Starting Readerama wasn’t an easy decision.

For the past ten years I’ve poured my heart into Toppsta, helping children discover books they love and getting thousands of stories into homes and schools that might otherwise go without. I’ve worked with publishers, authors, teachers and parents who all share one goal: to get children reading more. That’s always been my “why”, because reading changes lives.

But despite all our collective efforts, the truth is that reading is in crisis. Fewer children are reading for pleasure, and the gap between those who read regularly and those who don’t, is widening every year. Recent campaigns, from the Department for Education’s literacy drive to The Sunday Times’ Let’s Read, show just how serious the problem has become.

Children who read are more confident, curious and creative, but schools and families are struggling, libraries are underfunded, book corners are threadbare, and many homes simply can’t afford new books. The system needs more support, both practical and emotional, to make reading part of everyday life again.

That’s why I wanted to create something that could help, not just by promoting reading but by building a model that sustains it.

After three decades in publishing and the last decade focusing on children’s books, I’ve seen how the world of reading has changed, and how the second-hand book market, one of the most vibrant and active communities of readers out there, has drifted away from the book world entirely.

If you want to buy or sell a book today, you’ll probably head to Facebook Marketplace, eBay or Vinted. These platforms make billions helping people trade everything from dresses to drills, but none of that value comes back to readers, authors or the industry we care about. The second-hand market is thriving, yet the benefits are flowing out of publishing altogether. It’s always felt like a missed opportunity to me.

So Readerama is my attempt to do something different.

A marketplace for readers, by readers

Readerama is a new UK marketplace where you can buy and sell second-hand books but at its heart, it’s not about transactions, it’s about readers.

I’ve always believed that readers are the best curators. They know which stories move them, which authors they return to, which books they’d press into someone else’s hands. I saw it first hand with Toppsta and now I want Readerama to do the same by making it super easy for people to share those books, free up shelf space, discover new reads and make reading more affordable and sustainable.

Every book listed on Readerama tells a story, not just between the covers but in how it’s passed on.

We’re a small team with small budgets but big plans. Our aim is to make buying and selling second-hand books ridiculously easy and to build a community around that: one that celebrates the joy of reading, keeps books in circulation and helps fund good things in the process.

Doing this for good

Some people, especially my friends in publishing, might worry that second-hand books mean fewer new books sold, or that authors could lose out. I understand that concern; I’ve wrestled with it myself.

But second-hand books are already a huge part of the market. Readerama simply brings that activity back into the reading community in a way that benefits everyone. We’re independent, mission-driven and committed to using our platform to do good. As we grow, we’ll be putting profits back into reading initiatives: donating to schools, supporting literacy charities, sponsoring events and funding book giveaways. It will take time to build up to that, but it’s been part of the plan from day one.

The beginning of a new chapter

Readerama is still small, just a handful of us working hard to build something we believe in. But the response so far has been incredible, and it reminds me why I got into publishing in the first place: because reading really does change lives.

If we can make reading more affordable, more accessible, more connected and more sustainable, while giving back to schools and communities along the way, then it will all have been worth it.

This is just the beginning.

Let’s get readers reading more, together.