Here at LoveReading we are cheerleaders for inclusive books for all and via LoveReading4Kids in particular our dyslexia-friendly book recommendations for children are a big part of what we do, working with publishers like Barrington Stoke to ensure we have a curated list of brilliant book recommendations for children no matter what their age, interest or reading level. On the adult side of things, progress has been much slower which is why we are delighted to chat with Dr Alistair Sims, a huge advocate for dyslexia-friendly books for adults.

Alistair, we recently saw you on a panel about dyslexia at London Book Fair and were keen to follow this up. We first did a piece on your work a few years ago, but we’d love to get an update on your progress to date. Tell us about your journey so far.

It's been really exciting since your last piece. So much happening! We’ve published 11 more titles since then, including authors such as Peter James, Garth Nix, and a collection of Sherlock Holmes stories. We have now published 23 titles. 

In 2023, a year after we last talked, we won a number of awards. I was the Winner of the UK PrimeMinister’s 'Daily Point of Light Award' on World Book Day 2023 for my work for dyslexia and literacy, Regional Finalist for the South West Small Press of the Year in the British Book Awards 2023, Winner at the Dyslexia Awards 2023 of the Community Shining-Star Award, and the Innovation Award. 

In 2024 I continued campaigning, via my Bookseller magazine article “Will you take on the 1% challenge”, and an open letter urging the publishing industry to take up the challenge to publish at least 1% of their output in dyslexic-friendly formats. We saw a significant rise in public visibility for BOTH Press, with a Guardian article during Dyslexia Awareness Week, a piece on BBC Points West TV and website, and multiple interviews on BBC Radio, including Radio 5 Live. I am delighted to report that 2024 activism culminated in a top 5 publisher printing their own dyslexic friendly editions. 

2025 started with a bang, where we were yet again Regional Finalist for the South West of Small Press of the Year in the British Book Awards 2025. We are also publishing 6 more titles, including household names such as Fern Britton, and horror legend Iain Banks with his seminal title, The Wasp Factory. Added to this we will publish our first non-fiction title, a reprinting in dyslexic-friendly format the OUP A Very Short Introduction Series - the first being Classics by Mary Beard & John Henderson. 

We are also really looking forward to working with LoveReading and other partners to campaign during 2025 for “reading for pleasure for adults with dyslexia”! 

And what is on the plan for the next few years?

We have for the first time a whole pipeline of titles right until 2028. This is really exciting for us. We are looking forward to publishing non-fiction for the first time with the OUP A Very Short Introduction Series, starting with Classics by Mary Beard & John Henderson.

We have also lined up novellas from Lee Child, Karin Slaughter, Harry Sidebottom, and S.J. Parris. We are really looking forward to working with our partners, such as LoveReading, and other publishers, to showcase books for adults with dyslexia, and publish more to give the dyslexic adults a range of books, just like anyone else. 

What does an accessible format look like for these titles? How do they present themselves?

Formatting dyslexic-friendly books is not rocket science. It's a lot of simple things that when put together make such a huge difference. Firstly we use cream paper, the font is Verdana at 12 point, we then create a inhouse template for larger spacing between paragraphs, lines, and words. We also do not justify the text, but have it left aligned.

How do you decide on the titles you publish?

We are not your usual publisher, we don’t take submissions (we are very much in the mould of Barrington Stoke) - we target established authors. We do this for a number of reasons. 

Firstly we want the very best authors to have books out there for people with dyslexia. Reading is not simply a solitary experience, but a social experience, talking with friends and family about books you have read and are reading. By having the most well known authors, people with dyslexia will not feel left out and can discuss these authors socially.

Secondly, we started publishing not just to bring books to people with dyslexia, but to make a splash, and get other publishers to sit up, (we can’t fill this gap alone) and how you do that is with big names, and so we essentially campaign via publishing.

The third reason is operational - I am a one man band, who also runs an independent bookshop, so I have very little time to dedicate to new authors (as much as I would love to do so). 

We have to be super focused on our aims as a publisher. And by doing so, pave the way for changing the narrative, so adults with dyslexia can really ‘love reading’.

Why is this so important?

I feel the importance of dyslexic-friendly books for adults is best shown by those who come into our shop, looking at the books and (every single time) say wow I can read this! And many cry, not in sadness, but happiness, that someone has thought of them. They have been ‘left out’ for so long.

We can’t expect people to enjoy reading without the resources for them and it impacts across the age spectrum, from people in their 20s to people in their 50s who have just been diagnosed, and because of what we do, they are able to read their first book.

“…In fact, one of our new readers is very proud that one of these books is the first they have ever read AND enjoyed.” Read Easy North Somerset

A good question would be why has it taken so long for there to be dyslexic-friendly books for adults: 4 years ago before we started there were zero books published from well known authors that were available for the general public! 

From the mouth of fellow booksellers - this is the reason why it is so important.

“I own a small bookshop in Coventry and have been stocking your titles since they started in June 2021. Very excited to receive your Arthur Conan Doyle stories from Gardners today and sold one straight out of the box." Bookseller Maggie Davison

“(there is) a stigma attached to dyslexia and many adults feel uncomfortable to say that they’re dyslexic. Also range of titles for adults is far narrower that was it is for children. Though when we introduce people to BOTH Press, they are delighted to see them.” Natasha Radford Chicken and Frog Bookshop in Brentwood

What message would you give to other publishers looking to consider dyslexia-friendly titles in the future?

Join us. It is not rocket science to do. Simple really - and there are two ways to do this. 

Firstly, we are very happy to partner up with a publisher, as we have HarperCollins and Hachette to bring smaller ‘novellas’ into dyslexic-friendly format.

Secondly, take a leaf out of what Bloomsbury has done with some of their backlist bestsellers - this is something we at BOTH can’t do, we don’t have the resources, but you do. And Bloomsbury has been successful with their editions! 

We hope all the top 5 publishers will have 1% of adult fiction in dyslexic-friendly formats in the coming years. And we will be right there to help and shout from the parapet. 

How can we help get the message out there? What do you need to make a real difference to your plight for adults with dyslexia?

We made a real dent into publishing dyslexic-friendly books for adults, we have published 29 titles by the end of this year, from some of the best authors out there including Bernard Cornwell and Peter James. We have published the majority of dyslexic-friendly for adults titles out there, Independent booksellers continue to champion us and we are very grateful. But for the exposure to the most people, we need the big chains to get stuck in, and display those dyslexic-friendly titles for adults in their shops as they do for children. 

This is the same for the media at large - there needs to be more of a focus on adults with dyslexia and the books out there for them. So my simple statement - is talk to us, join with us, and help us to get the word out. So more and more people can love reading.

10% of the population is dyslexic - and children with dyslexia become adults with dyslexia - and we must champion them, as the media and bookseller chains have championed dyslexic friendly books for children.

Get in touch with LoveReading and Books on The Hill Press to join the cause on books@lovereading.co.uk

@booksonthehill

@lovereadinguk