A dream come true

It only took me twelve years as a published writer to get round to seeing one of my own books being printed. But when it came the experience set off all sorts of thoughts about books, how we see them and what their future might be.

From the outside, the CPI Mackays factory on a small industrial estate outside Chatham looks just like any other factory. In fact from the inside it looks just like any other factory. Long rows of clean, modern machinery shunt products along the production line, partially hidden at just about every stage by glass-sided covers. It’s only when you peer through those glass sides that you recognise what’s happening, and even then only if you’re towards the end of the line. At the beginning there are just large sheets of paper, printed in rather complex arrangements, page 4 next to page 286, upside down beneath pages 5 and 285 so they can be stacked with the rest of the book and folded over and back and round and together.