The Paperback Revolution

In the early 1930s, most new books in Britain were sold in hardcover editions that were too expensive for many ordinary people. Cheap books did exist, but they were often poorly made and contained low-quality writing. A young publisher named Allen Lane believed that there was a large market for good books at low prices.

In 1935, Lane launched a new company called Penguin Books. Its first ten titles included novels by well-known authors, and each cost sixpence, about the same as a pack of cigarettes. To keep prices low, Lane printed large numbers of copies and used simple, color-coded covers: orange for fiction, green for crime, and blue for biography. He also sold the books in places where books were not usually found, such as railway stations and the department store Woolworths, which placed a large order.

Many people in the book trade predicted that the company would fail. Booksellers worried that cheap books would reduce their profits, and some authors feared that they would earn less. Instead, Penguin sold millions of books in its first year, and its success helped to make reading a widespread habit.