There’s a quiet shift happening in readers’ lives.

Alongside novels and memoirs, more and more people are turning to something quieter. Something slower. And unexpectedly satisfying. We’re talking about colouring books for adults.

I say unexpectedly satisfying, but those of us who grew up in a screen-free world already know just how comforting they are. The quiet pleasure of taking the time over a page. I still love colouring in with the little ones in my life. A lost pleasure, which I have found again - for me - with the plethora of gorgeous colouring books on offer.

But this is not just about nostalgia. They are having a quiet revolution due to the way they enable us to switch off, reset and stay connected to the kind of calm, imaginative space that reading brings.

Colouring in is quietly comforting. It fills a space where there are no barriers, no expectations, just the simple satisfaction of filling a page. It’s something we can all do, regardless of age or ability, and there’s a gentle joy in the focus it brings. That careful attention to detail. The steady concentration of staying within the lines. And the small, satisfying sense of completion. Of achievement.

And the numbers back it up.

A category that’s grown up

Colouring books first surged into the mainstream in the mid-2010s, when Nielsen BookScan recorded around 12 million copies sold in 2015, up from just one million the year before.

What looked like a short-lived boom has instead settled into something more sustainable - and is now growing again.

Recent Nielsen data shows a strong year-on-year growth in 2025, particularly in the indie space with colouring books driving the vast majority of that growth. Some titles have been reappearing in the UK’s overall bestseller charts, with some selling hundreds of thousands of copies.

Fuelled by demand for creativity, wellbeing and time away from screens, they tick all the boxes. This is no longer a trend - it’s a firmly established part of the market. And it’s not showing signs of going anywhere.

Why readers are returning to colouring

What’s driving this renewed interest is simple. It’s screen-free - a rare, focused break from the digital lives that now consume us.

It’s low-pressure - there really is no right or wrong way to do it.

It complements reading providing us with a sure-fire way to stay in a reflective, creative mindset.

The colouring books we’re loving now

What’s changed - and what’s made the category exciting again - is just how beautiful and varied these books have become. The sheer range on offer. The quality. The beauty.

They’re no longer just intricate patterns.

They’re giftable, design-led, and increasingly aligned with readers’ tastes.

Basford is still the benchmark. She’s an illustrator and “ink evangelist who prefers pens and pencils to pixels”. And hurrah for that. Her intricate, hand-drawn illustrations are loved the world over including us at LoveReading.

The Secret Garden is the best-selling adult colouring book of all time, and part of a series that has sold tens of millions of copies worldwide, Basford’s work defined the category. We love her work because of the rich, detailed illustrations that reward time and attention. Perfect for getting completely absorbed.

Coco Wyo is a group of artists and colourists who share a simple goal: to inspire emotional expression through colours by creating a variety of colouring books that inform, comfort, and connect people everywhere. This series is a big driver of the new wave of colouring books - and a major commercial success helping push colouring books back into the UK Top 20 overall charts. We love them because of their soft, simple designs and cosy aesthetic

Step out into the peaceful English countryside with Edith Holden: A Country Diary Colouring Book - a delightful book containing 45 classic, full-colour illustrations of the natural world by Edith Holden and accompanying line drawings to colour.

Edith Holden was an artist and illustrator whose beautiful watercolour artworks and nature writings were published to great acclaim as The Country Diary of an Edwardian Lady in 1977. This colouring book features a range of exquisite illustrations selected from her work, capturing the natural world and the seasons in all their glory. With all kinds of plants, such as daffodils, mushrooms, bluebells, catkins and much more, colouring enthusiasts can enjoy the beauty and variety of nature as they bring these wonderful artworks to life.

Highlights in this collection include stunning editions featuring the work of Angela Harding, whose intricate linocut landscapes translate beautifully to the page. Her designs - inspired by the British countryside, wildlife and changing seasons - offer a particularly immersive colouring experience, full of texture, pattern and atmosphere. Each image becomes an invitation to look closely, take your time, and bring the natural world gently to life through colour.

And finally, we highly recommend Tansy Willow, a bestselling colouring book compiler with a taste for all things bold, beautiful and perfect for colouring. From intricate mandalas to stunning landscape scenes, she selects designs that inspire a sense of peace and wonder and tap into the mindful benefits of colouring. 

Colouring books aren’t replacing reading. They’re becoming part of the same world. Our landscape.

A companion to books. A companion to us.

A thoughtful gift. For you. And for others.

A small, creative pause in a busy day.

And for readers, that makes perfect sense. Long live the colouring book.

For more inspiration, check out our adult colouring books category.