Margaret Atwood's invention, the LongPen, which the author unveiled at last year's London Book Fair, will be used at a record store and several bookstores in the United States, Canada, and England, the London Free Press reported today. The LongPen, which Atwood designed, uses a remote-controlled pen and videoconferencing technology to allow authors to sign books for readers anywhere in the world.
In early September, LongPen kiosks will be set up at a Barnes & Noble in New York City, World's Biggest Bookstore in Toronto, and Waterstone's in London. But the device may catch on in the world of music, sports, and film, too, says spokesperson Bruce Walsh. A kiosk will also be set up in HMV's flagship record store in Toronto, where celebrities could sign autographs for their fans.
The LongPen was recently used by Norman Mailer and Alice Munro to remotely sign books for readers at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in Scotland.
