Collaborative Storytelling in action online
Episode two of interactive online animated whodunit, The Lost Book, was launched last week – with a story written by visitors to the project’s website during February 2009.
The Lost Book is a collaborative adventure in storytelling. The web series – animated by Edinburgh-based Binary Fable – allows the public to become part of the storywriting team.
The Lost Book encourages people to read and tell stories. It is a partner project to the Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust’s 2009 reading campaign, The Lost World Read 2009, which is using free books, online resources and events to get people reading The Lost World by Arthur Conan Doyle.
The Lost World Read is the largest collaborative reading project ever seen in the UK.
The first of five episodes to be written by the public, it sees intrepid Scottish journalist Aileen Adler and her dog Watson travelling to Iowa City in search of a stolen book and a secret society of bibliophiles.
Where the story goes next remains in the hands of the public, who can suggest plot developments by visiting www.thelostbook.net. Each month between now and July the storylines will be pulled together into the next episode, animated and published online.
The animation was produced by animation company Binary Fable and the accompanying soundtrack was commissioned and performed by musicians of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.
The Lost Book is sponsored by Front Page Design, Henzteeth, Canongate and Toad News International. The project is supported by the Scottish Government in conjunction with Arts & Business Scotland via a New Arts Sponsorship Grant.