Young readers are driving new literary trends

From romance novels to gritty college novels, legions of young readers are diving into eclectic new literary subgenres, a trend accelerated by social media.

At the Frankfurt Book Fair this week, fans flocked to the colorful stands of “new adult” literature that filled an 8,000-square-foot hall.

The trend was driven by posts from authors and publishers on social media as well as feedback from readers, particularly under the BookTok hashtag on TikTok.

“A new adult made me read again,” Julia Kendall, a 30-year-old teacher, told AFP at the book fair, the world’s largest.

“I didn’t read anything for a while, then I picked up my first book by Mona Kasten and was hooked,” she said, referring to a popular German author of Romantasy – a neologism of romance and fantasy.

New adult literature is generally aimed at readers ages 18 to 25 and typically contains more adult themes, such as explicit scenes or drug use, that might be considered taboo for a younger audience.

Some authors have achieved near-rock star status, with legions of fans lining up for hours at events to meet them and get autographs.

– push boundaries –

One of these popular authors is Jane S. Wonda, who has written successful “dark romance” books that combine elements of traditional romance novels with eroticism and darker themes such as violence or drugs.

The 33-year-old, who works in self-publishing, told AFP she believes her works “push boundaries” and represent a move away from social “over-correctness… towards something morally grayer”.

For Wonda, her readers are “very close” and their reactions – particularly on social media – influence her writing.

“I pay a lot of attention to what feedback readers give me: So what do they write to me in messages? What do they respond to most?”

Astrid Ohletz, who runs Germany-based independent publisher Ylva, which focuses on lesbian romance novels, said social media-driven purchasing behavior among young adult readers is “changing the industry.”

“The big publishers are conservative. They know they have to change – but they really don’t like it,” she said.

Ohletz founded her own, relatively small company 12 years ago and mainly sells e-books in German and English in her home market and abroad.

– “Reading Fever” –

Striking appearance and style are central to New Adult literature.

Readers want attractive books that stand out on social media, and publishers are eager to produce ever more elaborate covers.

“For many new adult readers, the book is more than just reading material,” said Jeannette Bauroth of Second Chances, a publisher that translates books into German that she says have been passed over by the local market.

Many want “pretty books” to take so-called “shelfies” — snapshots of their bookshelves that they post on social media, she said.

Bauroth gave the example of a series of books they published in the “Queer Sports Romance” subgenre whose margins were sprayed with colorful patterns.

But some fear that the new adult genres are “dumbing down” literature and encouraging young readers to pursue less serious works.

Some romance novels have also been criticized for being too dark, particularly when it comes to depicting relationships.

“I wish some of the books had healthier relationships,” Ohletz said. “I don’t understand why they tend to be a bit misogynistic.”

But she and many other industry representatives at the book fair were largely positive about a trend that they say is encouraging more young people to get into books.

Karin Schmidt-Friderichs, chairwoman of the German Book Trade Association, said that there is “an absolute reading fever” among younger adults.

“They find an impulse for reading online… This generation moves naturally between analog and digital,” she said.

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