The novel I am currently reading is no ordinary novel: archived by the British Library as the world’s first novel written for podcasting, it is now available in print. I met the author himself, Paul Story, while he was distributing copies at the foot of the Playfair steps on the Mound, as part of many initiatives happening during the Festival. I say “distributing” and not “selling” because in exchange for a copy of the book the reader is not handing over money as it usually happens, but instead an agreement to the “Honesty Deal”. And that’s what I did, I promised the author, on a shake of hands, that:
- I will finish the book within one month
- I will pay for it if I enjoyed it
- I will otherwise pass it to the next honest reader who has to agree to the same “Honesty Deal”
The hope of Story (I can’t help thinking that despite this honest atmosphere he is actually using a fake surname!) is that each copy of the book will find a paying satisfied reader sooner than later. In that case, the second book of the
Dreamwords series will be published soon. I took my copy with me, thinking that the courage and original thinking of this writer would be worth the payment, no matter my opinion of the book, but then I’ve started reading it, I couldn’t put it down for hours, and once I did, I was still thinking about it…
Image credit: Paul Story
During every weekend in September many Scottish buildings will open their doors for free. Here is a glimpse of what you could visit in Edinburgh:
