PVLF 2025

Penguin Books Vending Machine Installed at Exeter St. David's Train Station

He wanted everyone to access excellent, interesting, and fairly priced books, so he started Penguin Books.
on Apr 24, 2023

The popular novelist Michael Morpurgo and his wife, Clare, presented a Penguin Books vending machine at Exeter St. David's train station.

A new collaboration between Penguin Books, Exeter UNESCO City of Literature, and the Great Western Railway resulted in the installation of the device.

Sir Allen Lane, the creator of Penguin Books, is Clare Morpurgo's father. At the unveiling, Clare spoke about Sir Allen and his efforts at Penguin.

Sir Allen Lane couldn't find a suitable book to read at Exeter St. David's in 1934; all he could see were periodicals or copies of Victorian texts. This is where the Penguin Books saga began.

He wanted everyone to access excellent, interesting, and fairly priced books, so he started Penguin Books. The paperback format was officially born when Penguin Books published its first 10 volumes the following year.

Now that the business has gone back to its roots, commuters in Exeter won't experience the same issue as Sir Allen Lane, thanks to the Penguin Books vending machine.

Graddon Vending, a vending machine supplier with a Southwest presence, provided the machine, which is now situated at the station's entrance. Both modern and vintage Penguin Books are available in a large selection here.

New releases, time-tested classics, and books commemorating significant yearly events like LGBTQIA+ History Month, Black History Month, and UNESCO's International Mother Language Day will all be periodically swapped out.

The Exeter City of Literature, a nonprofit that supports writers and storytellers both locally and internationally, and Bookbag, a cherished neighborhood independent bookshop, will both benefit from the machine's earnings.

Over 200 books have been purchased from the machine in less than a month.

"I am honored to have been invited to unveil the new Penguin Vending Machine at Exeter St Davids station," says Clare Morpurgo, daughter of Sir Allen Lane. My father, Allen Lane, was inspired to start a publishing revolution over 90 years ago at the same station. He wanted to make purchasing a book as simple as purchasing a pack of smokes. The Penguin Vending Machine would have made him smile. He also enjoyed getting tickled pink.

The best-selling novelist Michael Morpurgo claims: "It required an apprenticeship of 70 years of writing to get published by Puffin. Being listed among all those wonderful authors who have written for such a fantastic and unquestionably distinctive publishing firm makes me feel quite the elderly Penguin group author. Still, I'm also really pleased with myself.

I should clarify that I write for pleasure, for my enjoyment, and I like sharing that enjoyment with my readers when I can. Because reading is so crucial to a young child's development, that is why I continue to write.

Knowing the history of Penguin, Exeter's Executive Director Anna Cohn Orchard approached the publisher in 2021 with the concept for a book vending machine at St. Davids. She claims that the enormous popularity of this vending machine "shows how much joy reading and books bring to people's lives.

"Exeter has inspired readers and writers for centuries, and we're proud to have served as the source of inspiration for both the establishment of Penguin Books and subsequent iterations of Penguin Book Vending Machines across the nation."

When the Exeter City of Literature approached us about the Penguin Books vending machine, we immediately understood that it was the ideal way to honor our beginnings, according to Zainab Juma, Head of Brand at Penguin. One of the greatest pleasures of taking the train is passing the time reading a book, and this device is just what our founder Allen Lane would have wanted to see before starting his journey.

We're especially happy that Bookbag, a nearby small bookshop, and the Exeter City of Literature, which do amazing work promoting Exeter's literary legacy and increasing access to books and reading in the community, will benefit from the vending machine.

The relationship between GWR and Penguin Books, which stretches back nearly 90 years, is something we are proud of, according to Paul Gentleman, Head of External Communications for GWR. The Exeter St. Davids station is lucky to have this book-selling machine, which is already a hit with passengers.

"An enjoyable train ride is the ideal time to read an excellent book. You may pick up a Penguin Book just before you go, whether going on vacation to a famous location or passing the time on your daily commute.