Trend towards “Social Reading”
The Internet is turning reading into a new shared experience.
Reading can be a sole pursuit, but it does not have to be. In the past, anyone wishing to escape the conventional solitude of book-reading could attend literature festivals, book clubs, book fairs and readings. Nowadays, countless communities have also become established online, with digital development pushing tirelessly forward and directly linking readers to their books. Since 2011, the “Readmill” app, launched by Swedish entrepreneurs in Berlin, has given fans of literature the chance to engage in a dialogue without even putting aside their book: passages can be highlighted, cited in social networks and then discussed with other users. Well-known German author and blogger Sascha Lobo is one of a group of IT experts who set the “Sobooks” project in motion at the 2013 Frankfurt Book Fair.
Debate and sales platform for books
“Sobooks” stands for social books. The platform makes books available online, links them to social networks and sells them, meaning that “Sobooks” is also of interest to publishers and authors. What is more, the platform can offer insights into the reading habits of its customers. “If users wish to let us know which books they are reading, that’s great and we’ll support it. If they do not wish to have any external contact, this can be configured just as easily in the settings.” In an interview with German weekly “Die Zeit”, Sascha Lobo found himself being asked about the “transparent reader” – a subject with which avid readers will have to engage in the digital world.
lit.COLOGNE International Literary Festival from 12 to 22 March 2014 in Cologne
