The rise of the audiobook

Last year, the European and International Book Federation revealed that Australia had lower reading and book buying rates than nineteen other countries. Only sixty-four per cent of Australians had purchased a book in the past twelve months, compared to an average of seventy-two per cent of people in the other countries.

There was much media speculation about the reason for this. Could it involve Australia’s dependence on cars, allowing less time for reading while commuting, or our higher cost of living and lower disposable income? Or perhaps a need for multitasking in a fast-paced world? All of these factors are likely contributors.