Normalising dyslexia friendly books in the publishing industry
Accessibility is a key topic at Oxford publishing conference
At the Society of Young Publishers conference, industry professionals discussed the lack of accessibility in publishing and the importance of having dyslexia-friendly books available in mainstream bookshops.
On the 8th of November, numerous people were eager to learn more about the future of the publishing industry and convened at Oxford Brookes University to hear from the people who shape the industry.
The panellists included Alistair Sims, the owner and founder of Both Press, who is dyslexic himself and was unable to read properly until the age of 13. His independent publishing company specialises in dyslexia-friendly books. Elizabeth Kellingsly, the accessibility manager at Bloomsbury, and Laura Dolan, the account director at CPI Print and board member at the UK Association of Accessible Formats.
Dyslexia is a learning difficulty that affects reading and writing skills, which can be a barrier to people who enjoy reading. The British Dyslexia Association states that 10% of the population is believed to be dyslexic.
Alistair Sims said that despite struggling with reading, it had not diminished his love for it. When asked about his aspirations for the accessibility of books, Alistair emphasised the normalisation of dyslexia friendly books and having them available in bookshops.
Speaking to Great British Life magazine, he said, “I wanted something that looked no different to any other book on the shelf. They are all short stories, but nothing has changed other than the layout and formatting. We have books lined up for publication until 2028”.
This year, Bloomsbury has introduced 11 more dyslexia-friendly books to add to their accessible range, which were received positively last year. The books include bestsellers like Just Kids by Patti Smith and I Want to Die but I Want to Eat Tteokbokki by Baek Se-hee. They will be available to buy in bookshops and online from the 23rd October 2025.
What makes a book dyslexia friendly?
Clear sans-serif fonts
The colour of the font such as dark blue, so there is not as much contrast between the colour of the page and the text.
Cream coloured pages, not glaring white.
Increased space between the characters and lines
Bold instead of italics.