Welcome back to Subject Spotlight, your go-to source for quarterly data-driven insights into the performance of particular subjects in the Canadian book market.
Previously, we looked at the sales and library circulation for the Young Adult Fiction / Fantasy BISAC subject. In this instalment, we shine the spotlight on Non-Fiction / Poetry titles.
According to the Canadian Leisure & Reading Study 2024, 16% of Canadians read poetry, books in verse, or plays across all formats and across all subjects and genres. How did Non-Fiction / Poetry titles perform during the first quarter of 2025? We find out with the help of our SalesData and LibraryData services.
Buying Non-Fiction / Poetry
Compared to 2024, the overall sales of Non-Fiction / Poetry titles were down 9% over the entire first quarter. Looking at the graph below, sales of Non-Fiction / Poetry decreased by 32% from January to March 2025. In the first quarter of 2024, sales of Non-Fiction / Poetry was up by 13% from January to February but went down by 12% from February to March.
These are the BISAC subcategories with the highest year-over-year increase in sales:
Non-Fiction / Poetry / Jewish — up 900%
Non-Fiction / Poetry / Haiku — up 392%
Non-Fiction / Poetry / Epic — up 56%
From January to March 2025, the most purchased Non-Fiction / Poetry subcategories were:
Non-Fiction / Poetry / Subjects & Themes — 18% of all Non-Fiction / Poetry sales
Non-Fiction / Poetry / Women Authors — 17% of all Non-Fiction / Poetry sales
Non-Fiction / Poetry / General — 14% of all Non-Fiction / Poetry sales
Borrowing Non-Fiction / Poetry
From January to March 2025, library loans of Non-Fiction / Poetry titles were up 23% and renewals were up 38% from 2024.
Year-over-year, loans increased by 82% in January, decreased by 5% in February, and increased again by 10% in March. Overall, loans increased by 41% in the first quarter of 2024 and decreased by 15% in the first quarter of 2025.
Year-over-year, renewals increased by 112% in January, 8% in February, and 23% in March. Overall, renewals increased by 56% in the first quarter of 2024 and decreased by 10% in the first quarter of 2025.
Which Non-Fiction / Poetry BISAC subcategories were the most popular in Canadian public libraries? From January to March 2025, these subcategories saw the greatest increases in library circulation compared to 2024:
Non-Fiction / Poetry / Jewish — loans up 500% and renewals up 200%
Non-Fiction / Poetry / Russian & Soviet — loans up 488% and renewals up 210%
Non-Fiction / Poetry / Haiku — loans up 55% and renewals up 104%
During the first quarter of 2025, the most circulated Non-Fiction / Poetry subcategories were:
Non-Fiction / Poetry / American — 17% of all Non-Fiction / Poetry loans and 18% of all Non-Fiction / Poetry renewals
Non-Fiction / Poetry / Subjects & Themes — 14% of all Non-Fiction / Poetry loans and 13% of all Non-Fiction / Poetry renewals
Non-Fiction / Poetry / Canadian — 13% of all Non-Fiction / Poetry loans and 14% of all Non-Fiction / Poetry renewals
Reading Non-Fiction / Poetry
Here are the top selling and top borrowed Non-Fiction / Poetry titles from the first quarter of 2025.
Top borrowed
The Odyssey by Homer
Milk and Honey by Rupi Kaur 🍁
Old World, New World by David Holbrook
The Iliad by Homer
Paper Boat by Margaret Atwood 🍁
Top selling
The Odyssey by Homer
Devotions by Mary Oliver
A Gentle Reminder by Bianca Sparacino 🍁
The Best of Chief Dan George by Chief Dan George 🍁, illustrated by Helmut Hirnschall 🍁
The Iliad by Homer
Until next time!
Stay tuned for future instalments of this series or sign up to our eNews for more digestible data on the Canadian book market.
The bestselling Canadian books from July 1, 2024, to July 6, 2025.