Trainline has partnered with book influencer and content creator, Jack Edwards, in a new campaign that aims to tackle the stigma of reading romantasy in public. The booking platform for train and coach travel has launched a collection of limited-edition ‘decoy covers’ which are designed to disguise a reader’s guilty pleasures while reading in public spaces, such as travelling on trains. After all, as readers, we’ve all tried to see what a fellow bookworm sat opposite us is reading, haven’t we? Indeed, a third of respondents (33%) in research released by Trainline, admitted they make assumptions about strangers based on what they’re reading.
The campaign comes after new findings released by Trainline show that almost 1 in 4 Brits (23%) avoid reading ‘spicier’ novels openly due to the judgment they fear from strangers. Almost half of respondents (48%) also said that they felt there was still a level of stigma attached to reading romance and romantasy genres; despite the fact that these genres continue to dominate reading culture, going viral on BookTok and becoming bestsellers.
Trainline’s research found that 59% of Brits believe romantasy is often dismissed as less legitimate literature. 27% skip or skim romance scenes in public, 29% have abandoned a book entirely over fear of judgement, 51% would feel more confident holding a classic novel than a steamy romance on public transport, and 21% admit they’ve chosen books specifically to appear more intelligent during a journey. All of these stats are especially concerning when you also consider that roughly 24% of readers said that trains were one of their preferred places to read.
Speaking on the campaign, Jack Edwards said: “Reading can help you explore new worlds or learn more about our own. So, whether you’re reading a historical drama, a sizzling memoir, or a spicy romance, don’t let anything get in your way.”
The tongue-in-cheek decoy covers from Trainline feature intentionally dull fake titles including: Dense Classics For The Performative Reader by Hugo Vaine, Beige: A History by Alotta Light-Brown, and Perfecting Paint Drying by Paige Turner-Smythe. The free book covers, which readers can simply slip over whatever their current read is, are available from 20th May at selected WHSmith station stores (London Paddington, London Bridge, London Victoria, London King’s Cross, London Euston, Edinburgh Waverley, Leeds, Manchester Piccadilly, Liverpool Lime Street, and Newcastle Central) while stocks last. Digital versions of the covers are also available online for download.
