Travellers passing through Gatwick Airport now have a new hi-tech aid to help them choose a book for their flight.  A digital touch screen system called ‘Meet the Author’ allows shoppers at the new WHSmith Books store in the north terminal to browse information about the books on sale and watch author interviews.  The system allows customers to choose from 21 selected titles including a ‘Choice of the Month’ best-seller.  Customers touch the cover of a book on screen and then watch the author telling them about the book and their experience writing it.  A video loop shows current promotions and highlights the ‘Choice of the Month’. The screens were provided by Digital Solutions Group Retec Interface.

The customer-friendly ‘Meet the Author’ screen is designed to help passengers browse their book choice with a personal and knowledgeable service.  The video clips are provided by ‘www.meettheauthor.com’, an on-line library of more than 500 author interviews ranging from Josephine Cox to John Le Carre. The website has an interactive, comprehensive database allowing searches by author name, book title, and category, covering a wide variety of subjects from fiction to biographies and travel writing.

The videoclips are also available through book-stores in airports such as Belfast, Luton and Birmingham, and more are planned.
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