Data shows that Patterson’s 14-year run as readers’ overall favourite has given way to the Gruffalo author
Crime writer James Patterson’s long-running streak as the most borrowed author in UK libraries has been broken by children’s author Julia Donaldson.
Patterson had been the most borrowed author for 14 years in the Public Lending Right (PLR) data, which collates information on library loans and pays authors for every book borrowed, up to a maximum of £6,600. Patterson spent 13 consecutive years at No 1, and was the most borrowed author for the 14th time in 2020 to 2021; no data was produced for 2019 to 2020.
