Authors compete live to get into print

The Reading Agency in partnership with publishers Unbound and Birmingham Libraries is delighted to announce a ground-breaking, and free, author event.

On Tuesday 10 July 2012, four Unbound authors will go head-to-head in front of a live audience, pitching to raise funding for their fledgling book ideas to make it into print.

In a cross between an election hustings and a literary Dragons’ Den, authors George Chopping, Stevyn Colgan, Adrian Teale and Robert Llewellyn (of TV’s Scrapheap Challenge and How Do They Do It?) will appear at Birmingham’s Library Theatre, outlining their plots, reading extracts and passionately pleading their cases. The audience of potential readers will then get the chance to participate in Unbound’s unique system of book publishing, by pledging support for the book idea they’d like to see in print. (Please see “Notes to editors” for full event details, and for biographies of the four participating

authors.)

Unbound uses its online publishing platform to allow authors pitch their book ideas directly to their readers. Readers choose the ideas that they like from the website, and then pledge their financial support at a variety of levels. When an idea has enough supporters, the book is written and published. If it doesn’t get enough support, it doesn’t, with supporters of books that don't reach their target receiving a full refund. Unbound has successfully funded 15 books since its launch last year, and has another 20 projects currently on its website being funded.

This Unbound Live! event has been brokered by Reading Partners, the consortium creating successful and exciting events and activities for readers. Reading Partners is led by The Reading Agency, the independent charity working to inspire more people to read more. As well as bringing readers and writers together for an entertaining evening, 25% of all pledges made as a result of this Unbound Live! event will go towards The Reading Agency's work with libraries.

“We are very excited about this first-ever Unbound Live! event in a library venue,” explains Reading Partners project manager Sandeep Mahal. “In keeping with Reading Partners’ mission, it aims to introduce Unbound authors to readers and create a dialogue between them; building word-of-mouth enthusiasm and encouraging readers to pledge support to help make the four authors’ books a reality.”

“Unbound is a simple idea – by putting readers and writers in direct contact, we believe we'll end up with books that writers want to write and that readers really want to read. And there's no better way of testing the concept than by doing it live, and no better place to do it in than in libraries, the engine rooms of reading across the UK,” 

says John Mitchinson, publisher & co-founder of Unbound.

•     Attendance at this event will be free, but booking is essential. To 

book a place, please contact Nikki Bi on nikki.bi@birmingham.gov.uk or

0121 303 2895