Bookmarks

I've talked before about The Book Depository, my favourite online bookstore. It sends books worldwide at very reasonable rates without charging postage. One of my new reasons for loving this shop -- apart from the fabulous range of books it provides -- is the fact that each book comes with a gorgeous bookmark. Not promotional material from an author, but individually designed pieces from artists around the world. When I checked this out, I discovered that the Book Depository ran a competition for its customers to design bookmarks, and the winners are the bookmarks we're now receiving. I so love this idea. My current bookmark, pictured here, is by Donna Jensen of Australia and the design is called donna heart. The artist's favourite book is also featured on the back of the bookmark and Donna's is Year of Wonders by Geraldine Brooks. Have you read it? It's fab -- about the year of the plague in Great Britain.
Of course, if a prediction made at our latest conference is true, in five years time, 70% of all books sold will be ebooks. Bookmarks will become a thing of the past -- collector's items. Museum pieces. Times are a changing and I can't help feeling sad about that. But I won't resist ereaders. I know they have all kinds of advantages. No.1 for me -- they won't gather dust, or take up walls and tabletops and floor space , or curl in the damp. But I'm not embracing them either. I'm watching the tide coming in and waiting for it to wet my feet.