Today we celebrate Paperback Book Day, for those of us who love the feel, weight and aroma of an actual book. Initially, books were bound with wooden covers in wrapped in leather and stitched into a spine. Although, beautiful they were also heavy. This changed in the 19th century when a new technique created the 'paperback', or softback, or softcover. Thus allowing easier portability, and reduced production costs by utilizing thick paper covers, paperboard, or cardboard. These were then covered with leather, plastic, or cloth and held together with glue rather than the customary staples, or stitches.

It is interesting to discover travel by railway, or carriage was one of the factors that implemented the change from hardback to paperback. When travelling across vast distances for a week or more, reading material was paramount in passing the time, but carrying and packing heavy and large tomes was restrictive. So paperbacks were initially aimed at railway passengers. Their popularity increased for their reduced prices and ease of handling.

Paperback Book Day is observed as the anniversary of the date the first Penguin paperbacks were published in England back in 1935. Although, many saw hardcovers as 'good literature', many people could not afford them and prior to 1935 paperbacks were cheap and of poor quality.

It was Sir Allen Lane CH, a British publisher, who together with his brothers Richard and John Lane founded Penguin Books in 1935, bringing high-quality paperback fiction and non-fiction to the mass market.

So enjoy a paperback today in honour of the celebration.