Open discussion on whether online bookstores contribute to the closure of conventional ones.
It's been two years since Amazon announced that it sells more books in electronic form than in conventional form. However, despite the popularity of e-books and devices such as the iPad, it seems that most book lovers still derive more pleasure from leafing through a paper volume. It is difficult to imagine a world where children will grow up without ever touching or smelling a book, deprived of the magic of accidental discovery that a reader can enjoy browsing the shelves of a bookstore or a public library - in contrast to the "suggestions" of online bookstores, based solely on statistics and the recording of the purchasing behavior of each user. Pessimists predict the end of literature, a fact supported by the decline in the readership, at least in Europe and America. Optimists insist that global book production is growing faster than ever before, regardless of whether or not the available titles make it through the printer.
The technology
How many more years will the book, as we know it, continue to exist? Is the economic crisis related to the low percentage of systematic readers in Greece, where, according to the most recent surveys, 40% of the population does not read a single book per year? To what extent have online bookstores contributed to the closure of numerous conventional bookstores in recent years? How is it possible to cultivate a love of reading in younger generations? These and other questions occupied the participants in the open discussion on the topic "From the Iliad to the iPad: The Future of Books and Readers", organized last month by the Hellenic American Union and the London-based Institute of Ideas. On the occasion of the closure of the Estia bookstore, the spread of e-books and the growing purchasing power of Amazon, Manolis Andriotakis, journalist and co-founder of the video platform Garage TV, Areti Georgili, owner of the Free Thinking Zone bookstore, Vangelis Davitidis, founder of the magazine "Submarine", British sociologist and cultural analyst Tiffany Jenkins and author Alexis Stamatis were invited to develop their opinions and disagree constructively, with the active participation of the audience.
The role of moderator was played by Claire Fox, founder and director of the Institute of Ideas, a London-based initiative for the promotion of free thought and the exchange of ideas, author and participant in the weekly BBC4 radio show “Moral Maze”. “K” met her on the sidelines of this meeting and had a brief conversation with her.
The decline in regular readers was already happening before the advent of e-readers, says Ms Fox, who warns against the “fetishisation of technology” and believes the problem lies in the lack of a “climate” for fostering a love of reading. Although “almost every town in Britain now has its own literary festival”, guests are more often chosen on the basis of their ability to “do PR” or entertain audiences with their witty speeches. And while formal events, debates and presentations are on the rise, we are forgetting how to “quietly devote ourselves to a book”, she continues.
At the same time, "many of the campaigns for books emphasize their usefulness. You can't love reading because it's useful, nor because they force you to." However, the responsibility for shaping a culture of reading does not lie with the state, but with schools, universities and all readers, who can influence those around them simply by suggesting a good book to them. Essentially, what is needed is "to start believing in the power of books again, to talk about them and not hesitate to share our passion," says the director of the Institute of Ideas. Finally, "serious book critics, who are rare these days, can play an important role.".
Specific species
The view that “education does not start from the national policy on books” is shared by Ms. Areti Georgili, owner of the Free Thinking Zone bookstore, which, as part of its actions to spread a love of reading and strengthen social dialogue, also collaborates with the Institute of Ideas. As she reminded us in a conversation we had with her after the panel, in Greece “people were not reading even before the crisis”. Ms. Georgili refers to data showing that the current situation has resulted in an increase in sales of specific types of books, such as essays – possibly because readers are “trying to understand what is wrong and are looking for possible solutions”.
Although he acknowledges that even regular readers in Greece are now investing less money in buying books, he believes that the book is in no way endangered and refers to Stephen Fry's quote: "Books are no more threatened by the Kindle than stairs are threatened by elevators.".
Source: portal.kathimerini.gr
