The Form of the Book, and its Aura

11:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.
Westend II

In this session, digital publishing renaissance man James Bridle will explore the challenges, limits, and possibilities of e-books, particularly when it comes to bookmarks and annotations. He will discuss the notion of the book cover and its place in the world of non-physical books. What do covers do now? Should they be designed as art, as signifiers of the content, as marketing material? Can they be a part of the narrative? James will consider just how much this key component of the physical book can and will change with the digital book evolution.

The Speaker

James Bridle does things with books, mostly. With a background in both computing and traditional publishing, he attempts to bridge the gaps between technology and literature, whether that takes the form of writing about the publishing industry, consulting to leading international publishers, or actually being a publisher.

James created Bookkake, a small publisher using new technologies to bring new life to independent publishing, and Bkkeepr, an attention data service for bibliophiles. He writes about books and the publishing industry at booktwo.org and runs a series of websites including Quietube, an accidental anti-censorship proxy for the Middle East. In 2009 he helped launch Enhanced Editions, the first ereading application with integrated audiobooks.