Bloc magazine summer 25.

55 Believe it or not, Swindon is the de facto capital of a fictional nation called Bookland. And no, we haven’t had one too many cream teas – Bookland is very real… in the world of barcodes. To understand this literary oddity, look no further than your nearest book. Flip it over, and you’ll likely find a barcode beginning with the digits 978 or 979. These aren’t just random numbers; in the barcode system, the first three digits identify the country of origin. 502? The UK. 452? Japan. But 978? That’s the mysterious Bookland. The idea of Bookland was born out of a practical dilemma in the 1960s. WHSmith, one of Britain’s largest booksellers, was building its first computerised warehouse in – you guessed it – Swindon. Computers need numbers, and books didn’t have standard identifiers at the time. So, WHSmith worked with British publishers to invent the Standard Book Number – a 9-digit code rolled out in 1967. It was the first of its kind and quickly caught international attention. By 1970, the system evolved into the International Standard Book Number (ISBN), growing to 10 digits and eventually integrating with the global barcode system. When barcodes became standardised, a problem emerged: ISBNs and barcodes weren’t compatible. The publishing world had already agreed on ISBNs, and barcodes required a 13-digit format with a country prefix. The elegant solution? Create a “country” for books – and thus, Bookland was born. In 2007, ISBNs officially grew to 13 digits, incorporating Bookland’s prefix. Today, even old books with pre-ISBN numbers can be translated into the modern system. Thanks to Swindon, every book carries a traceable identity that connects it to a world of information. So next time you’re passing through Swindon, remember: you’re walking the same ground where modern book tracking began – not a bad claim to fame for a town often overshadowed by its glossier neighbours. From railways to reading, Swindon has quietly shaped the world – one barcode at a time.