Seven of the UK's top ten most borrowed authors write books for children
It's enough to give Martin Amis a nasty headache: seven children's writers made the list of 10 most borrowed authors from UK libraries last year. Only three adult writers made the list, and they are all American.
Amis, who sparked his most recent wave of outrage last week when he said "if I had a serious brain injury I might well write a children's book", does not make the top 10 or even the top 20.
This year's list was seized on by Julia Donaldson, author of The Gruffalo (the single most borrowed children's book) which helped boost her to number seven on the list as evidence of the importance to children of libraries.
Donaldson, who joined in the recent action day to save libraries, and presented a petition to the Scottish parliament, said: "This just shows how much children need and are entitled to libraries and librarians. It's how they find out which books they like best and develop a love of reading."
The top children's author, for the second year, is Daisy Meadows, not a solitary scribe in an attic but a consortium of four writers who churn out the Rainbow Magic series: among its scores of titles, the publishers are promising Kate The Royal Wedding Fairy, in time for a certain date in royal diaries this spring.
The most borrowed author was the American thriller writer, James Patterson, unchanged since the previous year, who also has five titles among the top 20 books.
Only children's authors from the UK, Jacqueline Wilson, Lauren Child, Donaldson, Mick Inkpen, Francesca Simon, author of the Horrid Henry books, and Terry Deary, author of the Horrible Histories, along with the Rainbow Dreams factory made the top 10 authors list. However three books by UK authors made the list of top titles, although Lee Child lives in New York, where his Jack Reacher thrillers are set. Ian Rankin titles came in in 7th and 10th places.
The most borrowed non-fiction title was a book which confounded expectations by being a beautifully written and touching autobiography, rather than a showbiz memoir of his alter ego Lily Savage: Paul O'Grady's At My Mother's Knee.
The most borrowed classic author was Roald Dahl, on a solidly British top 10 including Enid Blyton (down from top place last year), P G Wodehouse, Jane Austen, Beatrix Potter and Shakespeare.
The list has been compiled annually for more than 20 years by the Public Lending Right organisation, which organises the small royalty payments to living authors for books borrowed from public libraries. Jacqueline Wilson books have been borrowed at least a million times every year between 2000 and 2010.
The late Catherine Cookson, whose novels have finally dropped out of the top list, was borrowed more than three million times between 2000 and 2010, and Danielle Steel titles have appeared in the top 10 every year since 2000.
• Most borrowed authors (adult and children combined, last year's position in brackets)
1. James Patterson (1)
2. Daisy Meadows (2)
3. Nora Roberts (5)
4. Jacqueline Wilson (3)
5. Francesca Simon (4)
6. Mick Inkpen (6)
7. Julia Donaldson (7)
8. Danielle Steel (9)
9. Lauren Child (8)
10. Terry Deary (27)