Fifty Shades becomes one of UK's most borrowed books

Literary phenomenon Fifty Shades of Grey has become one of the UK's most borrowed library books.

The erotic tale is the third most loaned title for 2012/13, outranking popular Wimpy Kid books and James Patterson thrillers.

US-based British writer Lee Child had the two top reads with his novel The Affair topping the list, compiled by author royalties body Public Lending Rights (PLR). Child's A Wanted Man is in second spot.

Fifty Shades took the publishing world by storm in 2012 clocking up huge sales and kick-starting a rise in erotic fiction. It is now being turned into a film starring Dakota Johnson and Jamie Dornan, directed by Sam Taylor-Johnson.

Despite the nation's bookshelves already being packed with bought copies of the first in EL James's racy trilogy, it is also causing excitement in libraries.

However, the writer - whose real name is Erika Leonard - figured only at number 192 in the ranks of the UK's most borrowed authors.

Number one in that list is James Patterson for the seventh successive year, with Daisy Meadows - a pseudonym for a group of writers behind the Rainbow Magic children's series - in second position.

Patterson figures three times on the most-borrowed title top 10, two of them collaborations with other authors. The top 10, often dominated by crime and thrillers, also sees rare appearances for more literary works this time with Man Booker Prize-winner Bring Up The Bodies by Hilary Mantel at eight, and JK Rowling's first adult fiction book The Casual Vacancy at 10.

The most borrowed non-fiction author in the time period was food writer and Great British Bake Off judge Mary Berry, and on a culinary theme, the most borrowed non-fiction title was The Hairy Dieters: How to Love Food And Lose Weight by Hairy Bikers stars Dave Myers and Si King.

Most Borrowed Titles (combined adult and children):

1 Lee Child - The Affair

2 Lee Child - A Wanted Man

3 E L James - Fifty Shades of Grey

4 James Patterson and Maxine Paetro - 11th Hour

5 Jeff Kinney - Diary Of A Wimpy Kid: The Last Straw

6 Jeff Kinney - Diary Of A Wimpy Kid

7 James Patterson - Guilty Wives

8 Hilary Mantel - Bring Up The Bodies

9 James Patterson and Michael Ledwidge - I, Michael Bennett

10 J K Rowling - The Casual Vacancy

The most borrowed authors (with last year's position in brackets)

1 (1) James Patterson

2 (2) Daisy Meadows

3 (3) Julia Donaldson

4 (5) Francesca Simon

5 (6) Jacqueline Wilson

6 (4) Nora Roberts

7 (7) MC Beaton

8 (10) Adam Blade

9 (9) Mick Inkpen

10 (18) David Baldacci