According to The Times newspaper, Nintendo UK is set to announce a partnership with publishing giant HarperCollins that will allow a wide range of literary classics to be read using a Nintendo DS. The 100 Classic Book Collection will launch for the hugely popular portable platform on December 26 at a price of around £20, making it possible for British DS owners to flick through the pages of anything from Shakespeare to Dickens with the swipe of a finger on the touch screen.

Touting the convenience of being able to access so many pages' worth of famous literature via a single DS game card, Nintendo executive James Honeywell told The Times, "When you go on holiday, or if you're a commuter, lugging around a big paper book can be a bit of an inconvenience. Now you've got this whole library that you're taking with you. We hope to encourage people to try books that they wouldn't go out and purchase themselves."

With this announcement, Nintendo is following its gaming rival Sony into the books on screen business: Sony launched the Sony Reader in partnership with Waterstone's back in September. The Times states that this venture will be limited to the UK market initially, but Nintendo is looking to bring it to other territories, and may expand the number of titles available if The 100 Classic Book Collection proves to be a hit with the DS audience.