Wednesday, September 08, 2010

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.

5 comments:

Charmaine Clancy said...

Whenever I teach a novel in high school, I try to make time for a lesson where the students make their own bookmarks - they come up with some amazing designs!
I love the one you have :-)

Barbara Hannay said...

What a fabulous idea, Charmaine. I wish I'd thought of that when I was still teaching -- it's a great exercise.

2paw said...

I too love the Book Depository. I just bought an Australian published book at 40% of the price here: it was out of stock here.
Yes, the bookmarks are lovely, they had a children's series earlier on.
I will always be a book person, I can't see me changing to virtual books any time soon....

jenny wilson said...

i love the picture of the book mark

Eleni Konstantine said...

Yes I love that about The Book Depository. Get a book and a great piece of artwork. So cool.