BookCamp Toronto. The reason why BookCamp Halifax came to be. Yes, I’m writing yet another entry about this unconference. My blog, my rules.
Photo credit: LexnGer from Flickr
I promise I’ll keep it short though. The great thing about the unconference model is that you get to hear from a wide range of people interested in a certain topic, not just from the speaker. The first session I got to was midway through Michael Tamblyn’s from Kobo. It was legendary. Not just because of his speaking style but because he was serving a variety of wine. At 10:30 in the morning..!
The next session was by far my favourite, but I co-facilitated two sessions in the afternoon so missed out on other sessions. In any case, Ashleigh Gardener rocked in the conversation about geolocation and books. Participants discussed QR Codes and augmented reality. If you’ve never heard of QR Codes, check out this cool video ad for a publisher that put together a “living book.”
Some other interesting projects using geolocation:
Phantom City — a public art project that uses digital devices to transform cities into a living museum. There’s an iPhone app that allows users to learn about never-realized designs.
The Miraculous Bench — a venue on Foursquare where writers can contribute to flash fiction.
The Clock Without A Face — in conjunction with a printed book, 12 emerald-studded numbers have been buried in 12 holes across the United States and readers are charged with finding them.
Of course, I have to give props to the bloggers who shared the panel discussion on Canada Reads:
Jen Knoch of The Keepin’ It Real Book Club and Civilians Read
Kerry Clare of Pickle Me This and Canada Reads 2010: Independently
Steven Beattie of Quill & Quire and That Shakespearean Rag (he also sat on the panels for Canada Also Reads and Canada Reads 2010: Independently)
And to co-facilitators of the online communities session:
Tan Light of Random House
Meg Mathur of Indigo
Funniest moment personally: the audible reaction when, after being introduced by my real name, I added my online handle of @AliasGrace. It made me feel internet famous. In a good way.
Don’t forget to register for BookCamp Halifax, taking place on June 5. Let’s bring the great discussion about books in a digital age to the East Coast! Register here and tell your friends! The event is 100% free.
