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Online concept a big boost for book lovers

Large Print Bookshop homepage

A Saga Magazine competition winner has launched a specialist online bookshop, writes Andrew Stucken

Large Print Book Shop is the brainchild of Guy Garfit, winner of Saga Magazine's Business Boffins contest in 2005, for people starting a business in late middle age.

The website at www.largeprintbookshop.co.uk does exactly what its name suggests. It provides books in large print and audio format for blind and visually-impaired people, the elderly and the dyslexic.

The website's managing director Mr Garfit has a background in publishing and says: "Less than two per cent of all books are issued in large print in this country.

"I created a market place through necessity. The concept for Large Print Bookshop was born when I discovered that not only was the range of titles tiny but the major booksellers didn't provide what our readers and listeners need. The Large Print Bookshop offers accessibility and choice for book lovers of all ages and abilities."

But Mr Garfit realised trying to get large print books into the major bookshop chains was quite impossible because they do not cater for that market.

He explains: "I thought I'd be on a hiding to nothing and then I had my Eureka moment – I thought: 'I'll create the market place'. I'll forget about publishing and become a bookseller – and I've been working on it ever since.

"I went to see the RNIB soon after because their 'Right to Read' campaign is almost my business plan and I've had tremendous co-operation from them."

Mr Garfit has spent a great deal of time perfecting the business, believing he would only get one chance to launch successfully.

And the results look well worth the wait. The site is easy on the eye and simple to navigate. A range of presentation modes offer choices of text size, colour and background for the visually impaired, easy content access for non-mouse users and screen readers and full compliance with international accessibility standards.

Other features include a Book of the Month, recommended reads and best-seller lists.

The shop went live online as a trial in October 2007.

* For more on largeprintbookshop.co.uk see page 32 of the May 2008 edition of Saga Magazine

 

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