Michael Morpugo visits Exeter St David’s book vending machine

Tom Langley

THE world-famous author

Michael Morpurgo

paid a visit to Exeter St David’s station last month to support a unique Penguin Books vending machine celebrating the publishing company’s foundation. The machine was implemented to mark the founder of Penguin Books, Sir Allen Lane, visiting St David’s in 1934 and struggling to find a good, affordable paperback book to read. It is said these struggles were his inspiration to establish the publishing company, which next year will celebrate its 90th anniversary. Within three weeks, over 200 books were sold, with profits supporting Exeter City of Literature — which supports authors locally and internationally, and Bookbag — an independent bookstore in the city.

Anna Cohn Orchard, Executive Director of Exeter City of Literature, noted the story of the publisher’s foundation, and approached

Penguin Books in 2021 with the idea of a vending machine.

Titles of the books will change on a regular basis to recognise topical events, including LGBTQIA+ history, Black history and COP28. Morpurgo praised the machine, commenting he was proud to be “there amongst all those luminaries who have written for such a great and certainly unique, publishing house.” Morpurgo emphasised the importance of reading to young children of today.

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