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Tell us your thoughts on e-reading and win a Kobo Arc tablet, plus a signed copy of award-winning author Margaret Drabble's latest novel The Pure Gold Baby

(455 Posts)
KatGransnet (GNHQ) Wed 21-May-14 14:15:55

We've teamed up with Canongate and Kobo to offer three lucky gransnetters a Kobo Arc tablet, plus a signed copy of award-winning author Margaret Drabble's latest novel The Pure Gold Baby.

Both personal and political, The Pure Gold Baby is a remarkable portrait of a family, a friendship, and a neighbourhood. A novel of great beauty, wisdom and stealthy power by one of our country's foremost and acclaimed writers, it is published in paperback on 19 June.

The Kobo Arc offers the ultimate reading experience on a cutting-edge 7" HD touchscreen. Kobo's exclusive interface learns what you like, and effortlessly delivers more books, music, movies and web articles that you'll love. With the Kobo Arc, you can also download apps, enjoy 10 hours of battery life on a single charge and keep up with friends and family on Facebook, Twitter and Skype. To find out more about, click here.

How to enter

To get your hands on this incredible prize, simply post your thoughts on e-reading and/or ask Margaret Drabble a question on the thread below. Three winners will be picked at random to win. This competition closes on 20 June.

Free e-books for everyone...

For the duration of this competition, Canongate are also offering several of Margaret Drabble's classic titles - The Millstone, The Peppered Moth, The Radiant Way, A Natural Curiosity and The Gates of Ivory - as free e-books for Gransnet members.

To take advantage of this offer, e-mail [email protected] with the title of your preferred book to receive a free download code. You'll need to register with Kobo and enter your payment details before entering the code (you will have 100% off the purchase so no charge will be made on completion). Code works for all devices, but unfortunately they won't work on Kindles.

Find out more about Margaret Drabble and her books on the Canongate website.

Read the Gransnet terms and conditions for competitions.

MargaretDrabble Mon 07-Jul-14 15:35:50

Buddie

With such a long and distinguished career, early works must have been either hand-written or typed. Has this changed with the advent of computers or are old habits hard to break?

I used to write on a typewriter and found it hard to adapt to word processing. I went on using a typewriter for fiction long after I’d learned to use the computer for letters, articles etc. It was hard to adapt, I needed the thump thump of the machine. But you have to learn to adjust as it became hard to find typewriter ribbons etc. I’m fully adjusted now and very happy with the new methods. But I have got weird pains in my fingers from bashing the machine for so many years – I’m a (very fast) two finger typist, and those fingers have suffered…

MargaretDrabble Mon 07-Jul-14 15:38:37

chumbelina

Up to now I have dropped hints about an e-reader to everyone, but I still love the feel and the smell of books, and still haunt the library when I can.
Love Margaret Drabble books, wish I could write like her, so believable and so memorable, thanks Margaret for giving me many happy hours of reading!xx

Thank you!

Botoxbarbie Fri 11-Jul-14 22:42:56

I read books every night in bed. It's lighter to hold and I can instantly purchase a new book. But I also read "real" books and we have lots of books at home.

hildajenniJ Sat 06-Dec-14 08:31:13

I had a Kobo e-reader for Christmas when they first came out. Last year it suddenly stopped working. I was very disappointed as I was just into "The Life of Pi", and had a new Alexander McCall Smith, and a Terry Pratchett downloaded. These two were gifts from my son for Christmas, he gave me the e-vouchers and those were the books I chose. I really miss the Kobo, as it is so much easier than a physical book for my arthritic fingers.