Whether your reading habit has taken a hit thanks to your smartphone, or you prefer social media to books, the New York Public Library has not given up on you just yet. The next time you are scrolling down your Instagram feed, head over to their page (@nypl) to read about Alice’s adventures or Gregor Samsa’s metamorphosis in Franz Kafka’s book.
Earlier this week, the third largest public library in the world — with nearly 53 million items and 92 locations — announced the launch of Insta Novels on their Instagram Stories. Created with independent advertising and creative agency, Mother in New York, the programme aims to make some of the world’s most classic pieces of literature more accessible to the masses. A digitised version of Alice in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, illustrated by designer Magoz, can currently be seen in the highlights section.
Corinna Falusi, partner and chief creative officer, Mother, says, “Instagram unknowingly created the perfect bookshelf for this new kind of online novel. From the way you turn the pages, to where you rest your thumb while reading, the experience is already unmistakably like reading a paperback novel.”
In the coming months, The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, illustrated by Buck (@buck_design), and The Metamorphosis by Franz Kafka, illustrated by César Pelizer (@cesarpelizer), will also be released.
