Young Romanians make avid book readers, buy EUR 22 worth of books in English a month

One third of Romanians who constantly buy books in English are aged between 24 and 35, most of them are women with university studies, and are willing to spend above RON 100 (or some EUR 22) on books a month, according to data from Okian, one of the largest bookshops selling English – language books in Romania. The next group of buyers is made of young people 18 to 24, most of whom like to read fiction literature, as well as business books and books on personal development. “Despite the general opinion that young Romanians no longer read or are interested in literature, the Okian reader profile show the opposite. The 18 to 34 year old generation are constant book readers, who spend at least RON 100 on books a month. These are educated readers, with a clear taste, they know exactly what genre and books they want,” said Tudor Benga, CEO Okian.ro. Fiction is among the best sold literary genres, while one of the most popular subgenres is dystopian fiction, which includes the famous trilogy Hunger Games. The biggest book order on Okian.ro in 2013 stood at some RON 3,900 – or around EUR 866 – and consisted of several specialty books on oil painting. The company which runs Okian.ro posted a turnover of EUR 1.5 million in 2012, according to data from the Finance Ministry. editor@romania-insider.com