The IPMG-owned printer produced 500,000 guides for the ‘Get Reading’ campaign, detailing the ’50 Books You Can’t Put Down’.

The guides were distributed to libraries and bookshops around the country, said project director Cheryl Akle.

She said an extra 200,000 guides had been printed in 2012 in response to increased orders and copies being given away at railway stations in Sydney and Melbourne.

Get Reading said it had received $2 million of funding to promote Australia’s “largest annual celebration of books and reading”.

IPMG chief executive Stephen Anstice said the company was proud to be associated with this “wonderful initiative”.

“[The guide] is a fine printed piece and it is good to see our industry being supported by the government and acknowledging the importance of the print medium,” he told ProPrint.

“By showcasing Australian books and writers to the broader community, Get Reading encourages literacy and tells great Australian stories that can only help to develop our culture in a positive way.

“While we all embrace change and utilise other clever technologies available to us, it is hard to beat relaxing with a good book or magazine.”

The 50 books featured in the guide are all written by Australian authors. Arts Minister Simon Crean said the government was a strong supporter of the month-long reading campaign.

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