It’s become the ultimate mark of commercial success for authors - an appearance in the Sunday Times bestseller list.
The chart of the 100 books that have shifted most copies started back in 1974 and has continued ever since.
To mark the anniversary the compilers have calculated the bestselling books of the last 50 years - by looking at which have spent most time in the chart.
Here are the top 13.
13. Peter Mayle: A Year in Provence (157 weeks)
"Peter Mayle and his wife did what most of us only imagine doing when they made their long-cherished dream of a life abroad a reality: throwing caution to the wind, they bought a glorious two hundred year-old farmhouse in the Lubéron Valley and began a new life. In a year that begins with a marathon lunch and continues with a host of gastronomic delights, they also survive the unexpected and often hilarious curiosities of rural life. From mastering the local accent and enduring invasion by bumbling builders, to discovering the finer points of boules and goat-racing, all the earthy pleasures of Provençal life are conjured up in this enchanting portrait." | Contributed