The Bluebirds Plea: End the Death of The Bookshop, Why the Romance of Billowing Shelves Should not Die.
We are in the age of ipads, kindles and multiple forms of
electronic reading. There are few things in this world that I am more
passionate about than wonderful writing and stories; therefore, books. I might
be old fashioned but over the years I have found it very difficult to warm to
the idea of storing anything from classics to modern literature on a touch
screen device. Perhaps I am a romantic.
I understand the practicality of these devices; in fact, I
am probably the target market. I travel
a lot, move a lot and very often run out of space for my books. Recently, I
packed up a flat – of 15 boxes, 11 boxes were entirely books. To me there is
nothing more beautiful than a hardback, first edition book with an enthralling
history behind its momentous writing. I know it isn’t environmentally ethical
or space efficient. But, what about the rest.
From a young age I have always taken solace in bookstores
and libraries. There is a comfort in being surrounded by not only your greatest
past time, but by other people who must, in one way or another – feel the same
way. I’m not talking about megastores or soulless chain businesses. I’m talking
about real bookstores. The kind that will allow you to sit down; breathe
in the scent of the pages, and read. Floor to ceiling filled rooms run by people as passionate and inspired by their surroundings as
you are. There is a romance about these places that cannot be replicated by an
online amazon order for your kindle.
Without books, there will be no bookstores. Just novelty
stores, with a few books. There will be no defining page thicknesses, no
separate type fonts, no scent of papermill. There will be no beautiful book
covers. You will not find books in markets in 50-100 years time with notes
from loved ones inside. Literature will lose its personality, its history and
its future.
I could talk about how great authors, poets, historians, scientists and philosophers would be horrified at how the world is losing interest in literature, its original form and the inner culture that is inherited with it. Or, how we live in a society where most "reading" happens on Facebook and Twitter. But, I won't.
So all I ask – is this Christmas, buy a book for someone.
Support your local bookstores and the passionate people who run them. Teach your children, or remind your friends and family what there is to love about turning a page and reading a book. Bookstores are dying businesses. Ask yourself if this is something we really
want to disappear.
