Reading's revival may be failing to reach those most disconnected from books, according to The Conversation. Adults who have not finished a book in months or years are struggling to rebuild their relationship with reading. The National Year of Reading 2026 has placed reading firmly back in the public conversation. Across the UK, libraries, literacy organisations, publishers and cultural institutions are working to encourage reading for pleasure and rebuild reading habits. This renewed focus matters. At a time when concerns about declining reading are widespread, celebrating reading as joy, immersion and connection remains important. Yet these conversations often make me think less about books themselves than about the type of reader they focus on. Much discussion around reading for pleasure begins with people who already possess a relationship with books: their favourite novels, formative reading experiences and longstanding habits. This presumes they already have the confidence to see themselves as readers. Less visible are those for whom reading stopped feeling natural much earlier. This matters because much of the current conversation around reading decline still treats the problem primarily as one of enthusiasm: how to persuade people that books are pleasurable, enriching or culturally valuable. But for some adults, the problem is rebuilding a relationship with reading that stalled years earlier. Research suggests many adults are not resisting reading because they dislike books. They are struggling because reading no longer feels manageable within the conditions of their lives. Reading in prisons My colleague Josephine Metcalf and I research adult reading re-engagement through a digitally delivered book club for readers and writers across more than 90 prisons in England and Wales. While prisons may seem an unusual place to explore reading habits, they offer important insights into the factors that encourage or discourage reading engagement, including confidence, autonomy and previous experiences of education. One finding appears repeatedly: struggling to engage with reading often precedes finding pleasure in reading. Before enjoyment comes interrupted concentration, prolonged effort, embarrassment, and memories of reading associated with judgment or failure. Research from prison-based reading groups similarly suggests that disengagement is frequently linked not to disinterest in books themselves, but to earlier experiences of reading as performance, exposure or inadequacy. This may help explain why reading initiatives often reach people who already possess some relationship with books, while adults whose reading habits fractured years earlier remain harder to engage. The barriers are frequently more practical and behavioural than ideological. Recent census data published by The Bookseller reinforces this point. While attitudes towards reading remain broadly positive, many adults who identify as readers rarely read regularly. The obstacles are familiar: distraction, exhaustion, reduced concentration and competition from digital entertainment. Creating the conditions for reading Our own work suggests that adults return to reading under very particular conditions: privacy, autonomy, short forms, strong narrative momentum, self-paced engagement and the removal of performative pressure. Reading habits are often rebuilt gradually through repetition, accessibility and emotional safety.