Authors say they prefer books in print

23 July 2013 - 03:01 By Louise Gray
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Alain de Botton prefers the real thing
Alain de Botton prefers the real thing
Image: SUPPLIED

A year ago Amazon reported its Kindle e-books were outstripping its sale of printed books.

But reading lists this year show that most authors prefer a proper, old-fashioned book to touch screens.

Writers prefer a well-stuffed bookshelf to one slim tablet, and they admire a well-illustrated book over a touch-screen.

Alain de Botton the philosopher said he dumped e-books when he realised the information didn't sink in without physical contact with a real book.

''I'm a recent apostate from e-books. I found whatever I read on my Kindle, I couldn't remember in the long term. It was as if I'd never read it," he said.

Jilly Cooper missed the ability to make notes on e-book readers in the same way as with traditional books.

''I like to scribble all over [books] and write things and say 'Well done', and 'God how awful' and 'Let's remember that bit'. I always underline good bits and turn over the pages of bits that absolutely knock me out," she said.

Last year there was a frenzy of e-book buying. The Fifty Shades erotic trilogy by EL James contributed much to the e-book phenomenon, filling the top three slots in last year's e-book sales charts.

But Philip Stone of The Bookseller said growth is slowing.

''After the initial dramatic sales, we've seen enthusiasm wane recently," he said. ''The format is certainly here to stay but we are expecting sales will only increase by around 20 percent in total this year."

Stone said the bestselling genres on e-book were thrillers, which are commonly read in a hurry. - ©The Telegraph

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