BBC Radio 4’s Front Row just had a half-hour program “The Art of Book Cover Design.” I suspect many of you will find it as interesting as I did. From the official description:
John Wilson explores the art of book cover design and meets artist Suzanne Dean, who has been responsible for more Booker-winning covers than any other designer. Writers Ian McEwan, Tom McCarthy and Audrey Niffenegger discuss the art that represents their words and Telegraph books editor Gaby Wood provides a reader’s perspective on what makes a book stand out in a bookshop. As more of us than ever read books on e-readers, is beautiful design the key to the survival of the physical book?
Follow the link above to listen on their website.
E-readers? Not for me. I adore the look, the feel, the smell of a book. I also like to be able to flick back to a passage and savour it again. Not nearly so easy electronically.
I will listen to that program when time allows, but am a committed bookaholic.
And an actual book won’t make it harder to fall asleep by emitting light at you in bed.
It also won’t track your reading habits and keep files on you either. Coincidentally, these links were recently posted to the Book Arts List by its moderator, Peter Verheyen:
Adobe is Spying on Users, Collecting Data on Their eBook Libraries
Adobe Confirms It’s Gathering Ebook Readers’ Data
Adobe Spies on eBook Readers, including Library Users
What absolute charmers. Sigh.
And a real book may fall on your head as you doze off, which is one reason I only read paperbacks in bed, but it won’t collate lists of other books in my unread towers…