The bookshelf was once a place to store treasured volumes, their worn spines fading over time.

But charity shops say customers are increasingly concerned about the colour of a novel’s cover rather than its contents, in the quest for a perfectly curated shelf.

The trend is partly fuelled by the number of people working from home. Many people, realising that their bookshelves will come under intense scrutiny on video calls, are keen to impress their colleagues with a tastefully co-ordinated background. The hashtag #rainbowshelfie is becoming increasingly popular on Instagram.

Charity bookshops say some customers are leaving with armfuls of books in every shade with the intention of arranging them by the colour of their spines. Others are searching for piles of books with only