Reading & Libraries
Inspire Poetry Festival 2026 - Desert Island Poems: Paul Farley in Conversation with Clare Brown
An evening of poetry, as acclaimed poet Paul Farley shares his desert island poems in conversation …
It’s fair to say romance fiction has a habit of being underestimated, and by some not considered ‘real reading’. Yet it continues to dominate bestseller lists, rivals crime fiction in commercial power, and sustains some of the most active and passionate reading communities.
There can still be a lingering cultural awkwardness around admitting you read it. We don’t tend to apologise for enjoying emotionally charged love songs, but romantic fiction is often treated as something that needs justification.
Romance has always treated emotional life as central. Yes, these are stories about attraction, but they are also about grief, identity, healing, trust and resilience. Emotional development isn’t an addition to the story but is the narrative.
That emotional seriousness extends into representation too. Increasingly, romance fiction is placing disabled and chronically ill characters at the centre of love stories.
At the same time, the genre is expanding rapidly in form. Romance is now moving into sports fiction, alien worlds, and ever more inventive hybrids like romantasy, where it sits inside other genres rather than alongside them.
With a sub-genre to attract every reader, is now the time to Go All in on romance?
How about something a little different?
Ready to dive deeper into romantic fiction? Check out episode 3 of our Love Reading podcast, and enjoy hearing recommendations from authors including Hannah Bonam-Young and Lyssa Kay Adams. Find us on Spotify and Apple Podcasts!
Go All In on your interests this National Year of Reading! In 2026 (and beyond), we're encouraging people to explore reading through the lens of things they already love: hobbies they enjoy, activities they engage with, and people that interest them. Visit our online catalogue and discover recommended titles to kickstart your next reading journey.
Ellie works for Inspire as a Librarian working on reading development and stock purchasing.
Please click here to find our online catalogue.
