Is the book, as we know it, facing imminent extinction, or is it alive and thriving? Are ‘good’ books being read any more? Can the printed book survive the onslaught of digital technology and new media? Has publishing become a slave to market trends determined by other media?
Hear key commentators discuss the future of the book and imagine how it might look in 2040.
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Louise Adler is publisher and CEO at Melbourne University Publishing; Mark Davis is Lecturer, Publishing and Communications at Melbourne University; Jason Steger is Literary Editor at The Age and The Sunday Age; Melanie Ostell is Senior Editor at Text Publishing; and Michael Webster is Director of the Graduate Program in Publishing Studies, RMIT University.
This discussion was held at the State Library of Victoria on Wednesday 6 June 2007. It was part of 'All About Books' week, which celebrated books and, in particular, showcased the Library's permanent exhibition Mirror of the World: books and ideas.
Where possible, a transcript or speaker's notes can be provided upon request.