I did a little shopping in Daunts in London yesterday. I was about to write ‘a little gentle shopping’ but it really wasn’t gentle because the shop was positively heaving with customers and there were queues to pay. It was a Friday and not a public holiday and there were all these people buying books; real, physical books. I left with my purchases in a linen Daunt bag and my spirits in good cheer.
I remember maybe a decade ago when articles were being written about the death of books, the printed page becoming obsolete etc etc. I didn’t think this would happen and I’m so glad it hasn’t.
The Guardian reports increasing book sales, the publisher Bloomsbury doing particularly well. (They do of course publish Harry Potter!) Kindles, phones, laptops are all very well for holidays and long journeys but there is so much more to a book than simply the print it contains.
One of my favourite authors Penelope Lively wrote:
‘… it seems to me that anyone whose library consists of a kindle lying on a table is some sort of bloodless nerd.’
Gracious me, go Penelope!
Here’s to the real, physical book. Long may it live.