From the rise of AI agents to the end of the office wars, futurologist Julia Hobsbawm shares her predictions for the year ahead.

Most of us have wandered into a bookstore, become captivated by colours, textures and imagery and picked up a book based solely on the cover, without giving too much thought to the story inside. As keen readers, we’re used to analysing an author’s style, influences and intent, but how many of us have spent anything like the same amount of time pondering the genesis of the cover that’s been chosen to represent the book?

Digital hasn't replaced print, just as print didn’t replace handwriting. And it shouldn’t ever be seen as some hand-to-hand combat or fight to the death anyway, but rather for what it is. A catalyst for new developments and manifestations of the creative imagination that we squeeze into that simple little word, ‘books’.