Sunday 26 February 2012
The design of a beautiful bookstore
There appears to be a pattern emerging, with more and more bookshops opening up in the most elaborate of settings in beautiful buildings around the world. I recently came across an article showcasing the twenty most beautiful bookstores, ranging from a stunning converted Dominican church in Holland, to a neo-gothic bookstore in Portugal, not to mention an elegantly-decorated, magically themed English-language bookshop in Beijing that appears to have gained inspiration from JK Rowling’s Harry Potter series.
The bookshop: a place to buy books – so what’s all the fuss about? Why the elaborate surroundings? Well why not! Personally I think it is a fantastic trend to be setting, opening up bookshops in beautiful iconic buildings across the globe. With the popularity of Amazon continually rising, along with its resilient domination of the online retail market, it is important to maintain some sort of physical presence for the purchasing of books – real life books that is. Creating a setting for books within these surroundings makes the process of going out and buying a book something of an event; it romanticises the whole thing just a little bit. You’ve got a load of books, stunning architecture, the literary history of the writers mixed with the heritage of the building itself – what’s not to like? I think it is an incredible way to make the very most book-buying, to create an atmosphere that is indulgent and escapist from the bustle of reality, so readers can just slow down, take a step back, and take it all in. It is all too easy to buy books online, and have them delivered to your doorstep at the click of a button, within the comfort of your own home. Well that’s boring and totally uninspiring; I would much rather a trip to a stunning bookstore, the surroundings of which serve to add to the very nature of the book industry as a source for inspiration and indulgence in fantasy and fiction. I mean who wouldn’t want to peruse their books in a converted 1920s movie palace in Buenos Aires?
Wednesday 15 February 2012
The Kite Runner
Wow wow wow what a fantastic book. Nearly come to the end of it and have come across a great quote:
p.312
'After all, life is not a Hindi movie.'
'Afgans like to say: Life goes on, unmindful of beginning, end, kamyab, nah-kam, crisis or catharsis, moving forward like a slow , dusty caravan of kochis.'
p.312
'After all, life is not a Hindi movie.'
'Afgans like to say: Life goes on, unmindful of beginning, end, kamyab, nah-kam, crisis or catharsis, moving forward like a slow , dusty caravan of kochis.'
Monday 13 February 2012
Book swaps at London tube and train stations
Now this is a fantastic idea, and a great way to promote reading. The book swap idea was brought about by Chris Gilson, a political researcher at the London School of Economics – he has set up a pilot book swapping scheme at his local station, West Ealing. The idea is to set up a network of book swaps across London’s landscape of tube and train stations, to be set up in time for the 2012 Olympics. With the world’s focus on London, this would be a fantastic opportunity to promote London as a capital of reading and literacy, as well as being the hub for the Olympic Games. Gilson was the winner of Ideas4Mayor – this was an initiative set up by thinktanks Centre for London and Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). Londoners tweet their ideas on ways of improving life in London, by posing these ideas to mayoral candidates. Literacy is high up there on the London agenda and this would be a great way to promote the cause and get people involved in a communal book sharing initiative in the capital. There is no need for all these books to be discarded and left to disintegrate in landfill sites, when people can re-use them and benefit from them on such a massive scale.
Boris Johnson is on board for the scheme, and as chair of Transport for London is the perfect person to have backing the campaign, to ensure that it is implemented safely and efficiently within the London tube network. However, he has warned that it could be tricky to get Tfl on board. So it is essential to get people backing the campaign, not only to promote the initiative, but to actually get things moving and implement a working model that Londoners can use and benefit from. I am very much on side and getting involved in the process! Follow @londonbookswap on Twitter to find out how you can be of help.
McDonald's Reading Campaign
McDonald’s is not only incorporating ‘healthy eating’ into its business model, but it is fast becoming an advocate of literacy. Who’d have thought it? I didn’t realise McDonald’s was quite so altruistic, but it seems that young people reading is top of the agenda for the fast food giant. I suppose if people are going to continually criticise the chain for its unhealthy calorie infested meals, then it is going to have to shift the focus of its business model elsewhere in order to continually make the sales.
McDonald’s has teamed up with publisher HarperCollins to promote millions of copies of former children’s laureate Morpurgo’s Mudpuddle Farm books, by handing them out with children’s Happy Meals in one of the largest promotions the fast food chain has ever seen. Supported by the National Literacy Trust, McDonald’s is set to give away nine million books by Michael Morpurgo, author of the smash hit children’s novel War Horse. The aim of the campaign is to promote reading as a family activity, focusing not only on phonetics, but on the enjoyment of reading as a pass time. And I totally agree, but I think making a direct association with McDonald’s Happy Meals and the reading of books is a massive mistake, because children at a young age will come to associate one with the other, and it will become apparent that children will refuse to read unless there is a McDonald's treat involved. So the next generation of kids may be highly literate and well-versed in Shakespeare, but this correlation will probably result in them being highly overweight as well. Sorry, I don’t buy it. Although it is said that these books will be available to purchase from McDonald’s outlets without needing to buy a meal, I can’t imagine that any child in McDonald’s will be happy buying a book and no food. I am an advocate for group efforts – particularly in terms of literacy and the publishing arena, but I don’t think that this is a good move for HarperCollins, and I believe that there are far healthier ways to promote reading for young children.
McDonald’s has teamed up with publisher HarperCollins to promote millions of copies of former children’s laureate Morpurgo’s Mudpuddle Farm books, by handing them out with children’s Happy Meals in one of the largest promotions the fast food chain has ever seen. Supported by the National Literacy Trust, McDonald’s is set to give away nine million books by Michael Morpurgo, author of the smash hit children’s novel War Horse. The aim of the campaign is to promote reading as a family activity, focusing not only on phonetics, but on the enjoyment of reading as a pass time. And I totally agree, but I think making a direct association with McDonald’s Happy Meals and the reading of books is a massive mistake, because children at a young age will come to associate one with the other, and it will become apparent that children will refuse to read unless there is a McDonald's treat involved. So the next generation of kids may be highly literate and well-versed in Shakespeare, but this correlation will probably result in them being highly overweight as well. Sorry, I don’t buy it. Although it is said that these books will be available to purchase from McDonald’s outlets without needing to buy a meal, I can’t imagine that any child in McDonald’s will be happy buying a book and no food. I am an advocate for group efforts – particularly in terms of literacy and the publishing arena, but I don’t think that this is a good move for HarperCollins, and I believe that there are far healthier ways to promote reading for young children.
Women only to work in Saudi lingerie shops
A concept that always baffled me when living in Saudi Arabia – lingerie shops being run by men, and in a country that follows a strict regime of obscuring the female form, it seems so ironic that women wishing to purchase underwear must do so under the supervision of men. It simply makes women uncomfortable, being under the watchful eyes of male shop assistants when making decisions over their bra purchases. It also makes it very difficult, if not impossible for women to get any advice about their purchasing decisions, particularly on the subject of lingerie.
And so in the midst of many changes affecting the Arab world, a law which will allow only women to work in lingerie shops in Saudi Arabia is due to come into force. The strict segregation laws in Saudi Arabia barring physical contact between the sexes dictate that women should only be allowed to work in women-only malls, but this will not solve the contentious issue of male shop assistants in female shops. This also means that women have been unable to be properly measured for their underwear, something women are freely advised on in any other country, should they require help from shop assistants. The issue here is over the freedom of choice, and a lack of it; women should have the option to ask for advice from the shop assistant and receive a professional service from the vendor. 2010 saw women in Saudi Arabia calling for a two-week boycott of lingerie shops run by male shop assistants. Rema Asaad, economics professor from Jeddah organised the boycott via Facebook as a means of rallying support for the cause, as public protests are illegal in the Kingdom. Ms Asaad had been calling for saleswomen to be allowed to work in shops that cater for both men and women since 2008.
Although religious police are not against women working in women-only malls, there is a general reluctance on the part of the authorities to promote a working culture amongst women in Saudi Arabia. This is simply a reflection of age-old traditions that continue to dominate the running of the country, but it is clear that these traditions just don’t quite fit in a world that is constantly developing, rapidly evolving, and eradicating many traditions in its wake. In any other way, Saudi Arabia keeps up with this pace, consistently developing its technologies in tune with the rest of the world, and yet matters of gender fall short of this movement.
As a result, King Abdullah’s royal decree will ban male staff from selling female underwear. This is a law that has received a huge amount of attention not only in favour of female shoppers, but also women wanting to enter the workforce. This law could potentially create up to 40,000 new jobs for Saudi women who have up to this point in time, been unable to enter the workforce. The female workforce in Saudi Arabia is comprised of the educated elite, who hold positions in government and medicine, whereas the general workforce is dominated by men.
Efforts to implement the Saudization of the workforce have been somewhat lacklustre, and the majority of the Saudi workforce is held by foreign workers from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. On the flip side of this argument, this law will create employment opportunities for Saudi women, but it does impact the role of male shop assistants, who will inevitably find themselves out of a job. There are already growing tensions between the liberal and conservative parties in Saudi Arabia, with potential opposition expected from the religious police. To ensure that the new female shop assistants are not harassed in the initial implementation of this law, the Ministry of Labour is posting observers in shopping centres to curb any problems.
In terms of the bigger picture, this will be a great stepping point for women in the country and their standing within a male-dominated society. And so these subtle changes in the law, though slower than many other nations, are very positive in terms of changing behaviours and bringing Saudi Arabia up to speed with a more liberal way of living. I say liberal in a very loose sense, but the point to note is not necessarily that changes are slow to be made, but that women are taking a stand and are determined to make change happen. The fact that women are taking this initiative, are standing their ground and finding innovative ways to communicate with one another and rally support behind a general cause for the emancipation of their positions in society, is where the real evolution lies. The next step is getting these voices heard and implementing the necessary changes that will give women in Saudi Arabia a more equal footing with men. The next stage of the ban on male shop assistants in lingerie shops is due to be extended to cosmetic shops later in the year.
And so in the midst of many changes affecting the Arab world, a law which will allow only women to work in lingerie shops in Saudi Arabia is due to come into force. The strict segregation laws in Saudi Arabia barring physical contact between the sexes dictate that women should only be allowed to work in women-only malls, but this will not solve the contentious issue of male shop assistants in female shops. This also means that women have been unable to be properly measured for their underwear, something women are freely advised on in any other country, should they require help from shop assistants. The issue here is over the freedom of choice, and a lack of it; women should have the option to ask for advice from the shop assistant and receive a professional service from the vendor. 2010 saw women in Saudi Arabia calling for a two-week boycott of lingerie shops run by male shop assistants. Rema Asaad, economics professor from Jeddah organised the boycott via Facebook as a means of rallying support for the cause, as public protests are illegal in the Kingdom. Ms Asaad had been calling for saleswomen to be allowed to work in shops that cater for both men and women since 2008.
Although religious police are not against women working in women-only malls, there is a general reluctance on the part of the authorities to promote a working culture amongst women in Saudi Arabia. This is simply a reflection of age-old traditions that continue to dominate the running of the country, but it is clear that these traditions just don’t quite fit in a world that is constantly developing, rapidly evolving, and eradicating many traditions in its wake. In any other way, Saudi Arabia keeps up with this pace, consistently developing its technologies in tune with the rest of the world, and yet matters of gender fall short of this movement.
As a result, King Abdullah’s royal decree will ban male staff from selling female underwear. This is a law that has received a huge amount of attention not only in favour of female shoppers, but also women wanting to enter the workforce. This law could potentially create up to 40,000 new jobs for Saudi women who have up to this point in time, been unable to enter the workforce. The female workforce in Saudi Arabia is comprised of the educated elite, who hold positions in government and medicine, whereas the general workforce is dominated by men.
Efforts to implement the Saudization of the workforce have been somewhat lacklustre, and the majority of the Saudi workforce is held by foreign workers from Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. On the flip side of this argument, this law will create employment opportunities for Saudi women, but it does impact the role of male shop assistants, who will inevitably find themselves out of a job. There are already growing tensions between the liberal and conservative parties in Saudi Arabia, with potential opposition expected from the religious police. To ensure that the new female shop assistants are not harassed in the initial implementation of this law, the Ministry of Labour is posting observers in shopping centres to curb any problems.
In terms of the bigger picture, this will be a great stepping point for women in the country and their standing within a male-dominated society. And so these subtle changes in the law, though slower than many other nations, are very positive in terms of changing behaviours and bringing Saudi Arabia up to speed with a more liberal way of living. I say liberal in a very loose sense, but the point to note is not necessarily that changes are slow to be made, but that women are taking a stand and are determined to make change happen. The fact that women are taking this initiative, are standing their ground and finding innovative ways to communicate with one another and rally support behind a general cause for the emancipation of their positions in society, is where the real evolution lies. The next step is getting these voices heard and implementing the necessary changes that will give women in Saudi Arabia a more equal footing with men. The next stage of the ban on male shop assistants in lingerie shops is due to be extended to cosmetic shops later in the year.
Wednesday 1 February 2012
Reading Trends – can print and digital coexist?
The debate over the e-book or the p-book (the latter being a term that makes me cringe), is the contentious issue in many a Publishing circle at this moment in time. How are these reading trends evolving and can the two coexist happily alongside one another? Personally I don’t think it is quite that simple; I think different reading material will translate more appropriately to a particular platform, be it print, digital or audio. It is not a case of making every print book into an electronic text and marketing the material in a uniform manner, because each book has its own style, its own message and this must reflect in the chosen platform of delivery.
The Publishing industry has witnessed a massive boom in e-book sales and the uptake of the electronic platform for reading, a reflection of the iPad and Kindle fad that recently swamped the market. But it is clear to see that e-books are not just a fad, they are very much here to stay, but in what capacity it is hard to say. This is because like any media hype, this reading trend is related to what is deemed fashionable. Yes that’s right, reading can be fashionable – it can even be sexy. Well, to an extent anyway. Take Vogue for example - very sexy, and not just in content, but in its overall presentation and aesthetic appeal. This glossy magazine is created in such a way not only as a reflection of, but a depiction of the people, the labels and the icons that it represents. Similarly, a shiny new iPad is a fashion statement with aesthetic appeal and is a slick digital platform for presenting a digital edition of Vogue. If all of this content can be found online with value-added material, why buy the print magazine at about £5 a piece?
Because of the experience. This is a serious user experience: the feel of those glossy pages, the image created as a reader of Vogue, and its ability to evoke an emotive response in the reader. The reader of the glossy magazine, coffee table book conjures up images of the fashion-conscious woman settling down with a glass of full-bodied red. The indulgent, sexy image reflected in many an advert for luxurious chocolate brands; the attractive young woman in the silky, flowing skirt, biting seductively into an equally silky smooth bar of chocolate. It is all about the persona, creating an image. Of course said woman probably curses every bite she has to take, at the sheer thought of the calorific destruction this will be having upon her oh-so-svelte figure, the industry-standard juxtaposition of the beautiful slim woman eating copious amounts of chocolate. Does this juxtaposition translate to the world of books and reading trends?
Take the old Penguin Classics books for example. Regularly found frequenting the shelves of second hand bookshops, these are tired-looking, slightly dog-eared, musty smelling artefacts. They have undergone the ‘library effect’ and this tells a story in itself – not just the content of the book, but the journey that it has experienced before reaching that bookshelf, before reaching the hands of the reader. Think of how many people will have touched this book, travelled with it, sobbed over it, spilled coffee on it. Every note in the margin, every coffee ring, every tear in every page tells a story. It may not be a very interesting story, particularly if the reader is just a bit careless with their coffee mug, but it is a story all the same. So how does this translate to a Kindle? There have been rumours of adding a sensory feature to the Kindle which will emulate this old book smell; something I can only deem entirely farcical - just buy the book, and second hand if the smell means that much to you.
I understand that we are moving forward with the times and with technological innovation and I am an advocate of the online platform for reading in particular sectors, but some things just don’t seem to translate quite so well to a digital platform. And these are the texts that evoke a personal response, a personality – they are more than just words on a page. Just as some people collect antiques, filing their homes with artefacts from past times, others instead opt for ultra-modern lines in various shades of white. This is something that the world of books is also susceptible to, particularly with genres such as literature, art and fashion, because it is all about the aesthetics, evoking a response in the reader and translating this beauty in a tangible form.
The digital platform is a value-added, user experience interface, and there is no point in creating an online platform for a book, unless it is going to have added value. It has to appeal to both an existing audience, as well as creating an avenue for new readers of new platforms to explore. So can print and digital coexist in the world of books? I think they are going to have to, to some extent, otherwise we will all be doomed to reading off a black tablet and the beauty of the book will be no more.
The Publishing industry has witnessed a massive boom in e-book sales and the uptake of the electronic platform for reading, a reflection of the iPad and Kindle fad that recently swamped the market. But it is clear to see that e-books are not just a fad, they are very much here to stay, but in what capacity it is hard to say. This is because like any media hype, this reading trend is related to what is deemed fashionable. Yes that’s right, reading can be fashionable – it can even be sexy. Well, to an extent anyway. Take Vogue for example - very sexy, and not just in content, but in its overall presentation and aesthetic appeal. This glossy magazine is created in such a way not only as a reflection of, but a depiction of the people, the labels and the icons that it represents. Similarly, a shiny new iPad is a fashion statement with aesthetic appeal and is a slick digital platform for presenting a digital edition of Vogue. If all of this content can be found online with value-added material, why buy the print magazine at about £5 a piece?
Take the old Penguin Classics books for example. Regularly found frequenting the shelves of second hand bookshops, these are tired-looking, slightly dog-eared, musty smelling artefacts. They have undergone the ‘library effect’ and this tells a story in itself – not just the content of the book, but the journey that it has experienced before reaching that bookshelf, before reaching the hands of the reader. Think of how many people will have touched this book, travelled with it, sobbed over it, spilled coffee on it. Every note in the margin, every coffee ring, every tear in every page tells a story. It may not be a very interesting story, particularly if the reader is just a bit careless with their coffee mug, but it is a story all the same. So how does this translate to a Kindle? There have been rumours of adding a sensory feature to the Kindle which will emulate this old book smell; something I can only deem entirely farcical - just buy the book, and second hand if the smell means that much to you.
The digital platform is a value-added, user experience interface, and there is no point in creating an online platform for a book, unless it is going to have added value. It has to appeal to both an existing audience, as well as creating an avenue for new readers of new platforms to explore. So can print and digital coexist in the world of books? I think they are going to have to, to some extent, otherwise we will all be doomed to reading off a black tablet and the beauty of the book will be no more.
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