Book Drum

Book Drum is a new initiative which is trying to create a sort of online Companions for well-known novels. Each book includes Bookmarks (with annotations and clarifications, page by page), Review, Setting, Glossary, Author Information and Summary. In their own words:

What are books?

We feel passionately drawn to them. We fall in love with them. But a book is usually nothing more than text on paper. Sometimes there are pictures, perhaps even a few maps. The constraints of book technology rule out anything more.

Until now.

At Book Drum, we believe even the most wonderful books can be enhanced through selective use of the images, sounds, video and information available on the Web. Have a look at our sample book Profiles to get an idea of the potential.

Isn’t Captain Corelli’s Mandolin all the more moving when you can listen to the music the Captain plays on his beloved Antonia? Aren’t John Harrison’s inventions more impressive when you can see the actual mechanisms described in Longitude? And don't videos about the Taliban and kite fighting in Kabul add depth to a reading of The Kite Runner?

They are running a tournament in order to complete a database of 500 books:

Book Drum’s mission is to bring great books to life by going beyond the page. As a first step, we’re building Profiles for more than 500 classic titles. If you’d like to help with these or any other favourites, enter our Tournament and you could win a cash prize and a job interview!

If you really love a book, be the person who defines it for the world.

Enter Tournament

We know that Wuthering Heights is already taken and being worked on, but Jane Eyre is available. Jane Eyre lovers: this is your chance.

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