Inspirational passion or paid-for promotion: can BookTok be taken on face value?

TikTok's book reviewing community is here to stay, having even received publishing awards for innovation, but issues of authenticity and safety abound

BookTok, the nickname for TikTok videos in which books are discussed, analysed, cried about and turned into aesthetic" moodboards, began as a small group of the app's users who wanted a place to talk about books. It has since grown into a hugely influential community that has the power to pluck authors out of relative obscurity and propel them into the bestsellers charts.

Earlier this month it was named FutureBook Person of the Year, an accolade which recognises digital innovation and excellence across the book trade. According to James Stafford, Head of Partnerships and Community at TikTok, BookTok is a community of creative people around the world with a shared passion for literature". Publishers, creators and writers have generally agreed that this corner of the platform has had an overwhelmingly positive effect, having led to huge increases in book sales and the discovery of new writers. The Bookseller even recently called it the last safe place on the internet".