Publishers look to rekindle Irish love affair with books

IN this, the age of the iPhone, YouTube and e-book, it is no wonder the traditional print and ink, bound and leather book is suffering.

Not quite a dying art, book sales, however, are in decline internationally – and in recent years there has been a steady fall-off in the number of books published in this country.

So what better time to rekindle our love affair with the book?

According to Alan Hayes, president of Clé, the Irish Book Publishers’ Association, literature is Ireland’s greatest export.

“As a nation we have always been fascinated by books,” he said. “The decline in publishing is a sad state of affairs for a nation that prides itself on its literary heritage.”

Without a vital publishing sector in Ireland, he added, many emerging authors may never see their work published.

In order to combat this, a national campaign has been launched in a bid by Irish publishers and booksellers to attract more people into bookshops.

The Great Irish Book Week, taking place from October 24 to 31, will see Irish book publishers collaborate with booksellers across the country to help attract more people to bookshops and encourage readers to support local authors and publishers.

The campaign focuses primarily on Irish-published books, which account for only 15% of bookshop sales in Ireland.

Showcasing fiction, poetry, Irish language and non-fiction books, it will feature authors such as Joseph O’Connor, Alice Taylor, and Myles Dungan.

During the week-long promotion, anyone buying a book displaying the special Great Irish Book Week sticker will receive a free 210-page paperback book, which contains extracts from the 30 recommended reads.

Authors will also be participating in events in Dublin, Cork, Galway and Belfast.

* For further details, see www.greatirishbookweek.com.