Penguin Books issued its first inexpensive paperback titles in Britain under the direction of Allen Lane. Sold through ordinary shops and railway stations, the colour-coded books presented serious literature in a durable, affordable format. The venture transformed access to modern and classic writing.

Cheap paperbacks greatly enlarged the audience for novels, essays and poetry-related criticism. Penguin helped turn literary reading from an expensive privilege into an everyday activity and strengthened the modern idea of an accessible canon.