Will E Books not only kill books as we know them but literary festivals too?

This year, the Evening Standard’s literacy campaign to Get London Reading has received a huge amount of support from celebrities, politicians, commentators, writers and volunteers, with the aim of tackling the growing levels of illiteracy among children.  Reading is not only a vital life skill, but can also provide endless amounts of entertainment, knowledge and pleasure.  But how and where those children read in the future may be very different from any generation to date.

On a recent trip to Cornwall I was visiting the spectacular stately home of Lanhydrock. The long library, houses shelves and shelves of leather bound books and the room is dotted with quotes from various people through the ages. One that caught my eye was

“A house without books is like a room without windows” Horace Mann.

I have to admit there is something very appealing to me about visiting homes and browsing their libraries, whether we are talking about old stately homes or just my friends’ houses, I think that the books on their shelves are a reflection of the person who lives there. They are the window into the soul of the home. But what will be on those shelves in the future?

And what about the great British literary festival? Are they just becoming an excuse for the authors to promote their latest novel, as suggested in an article in the Guardian this week, or are they truly a gathering for literature lovers, celebrating literary achievement? The Hampstead & Highgate Literary Festival, now in its 3rd year, is hosting around 140 authors, journalists and critics next month, none of whom are being paid an appearance fee, and yes, there will be copies of the books to buy, but we believe it is still a great celebration of books and literature. Will they bother when books are just another app or download?

What does the future hold, given that every day we see advertisements on television for the Kindle or its competitors? Will it feel the same when you visit a library with just a row of computers to download the latest novel? More and more independent book sellers are closing their doors and the younger generation are forsaking books for interactive games, films and other, easier, quicker forms of entertainment. So will this be the last generation of books?

Will we see books disappearing and does it matter as long as our literature is carried forward in some other form?