A survey by luxury publisher The Folio Society has found that nearly half of British adults consider reading a physical book to be an attractive quality, suggesting that being seen with a novel in public could boost someone's dating prospects. The findings come alongside strong physical book sales, which have reached £1 billion so far this year, indicating a continued appetite for printed books even in an increasingly digital age.

The Folio Society polled 2,000 adults and found reading consistently rated as one of the most appealing hobbies. Almost 40 per cent of Gen Z respondents (aged 14 to 29) said owning a physical book felt more meaningful to them than digital alternatives, while a third said their reading choices reflected their personality, and nearly two-thirds felt a person's bookshelf was a more honest signal of character than their social media profile. Publishing director Tom Walker said readers trust books "in a way they no longer trust other cultural communication signals," noting that a bookshelf is accumulated rather than curated, unlike an online profile.