'Now it’s the coolest thing': rise of Rupi Kaur helps boost poetry sales

Young rebel poets are bringing about a power shift in contemporary poetry and drawing a wider audience to the art form

Forget page-turners and celebrity memoirs, Brits have rekindled their love of verse.

More than a million poetry books were sold in the last year, the highest number on record, as the popularity of social media sensations such as Rupi Kaur continues to reinvigorate the art form. Sales are up 13%, to £10.5m, according to figures from Nielsen Book Research.

Related: Rupi Kaur: the inevitable backlash against Instagram's favourite poet