What are Dwarsligger books and can we have more innovation in reading?
Over the years, I’ve enjoyed collecting books more and more, but I’ve been disappointed by a lack of variety in editions and formats. But, I recently came across some books that I wanted to share.
It’s not a specific book, but rather a style, called “Dwarsligger”. I found them just after I had been at a book store thinking, “I wish I could find this new novel in as many format options as that shelf of Bibles.”
Bibles and many scripture books are available in dozens of formats, editions, and edits. A typical bookstore contains at least a half dozen. It’s weird that some books — especially popular books — are only available in one version. And, sometimes, it seems like they “let the programmer design the UI”. To me, it feels like there must be a market opportunity for providing consumers with options.
Shortly after that experience, thinking about book formats and availability, I found some “pocket size classics” books in a bookstore. I dug into the style, bought a bunch of the books, and found that the original name for the style is “Dwarsligger”.
They have this special layout— very portable and fun. The two primary features are (1) they are printed on “Bible paper” (thin, lightweight) and (2) they have a distinctive hinge so the text is printed at a 90° turn from what we’re used to and you can hold the book open and turn pages with one hand.
They are really enjoyable to carry throughout the day and flip open to read. Big books can fit on the thin paper. And, all of the Dwarsligger books I’ve found to buy were cheaper than the their bigger, heavier editions.
If you’re a book collector, too, check these out.
