New free-press publication takes fresh look at the world of books
A new free-press publication, dealing exclusively with books, has just been made available in multimedia stores around Athens. Titled Book Press, the project features texts written mostly by authors and journalists and is run by Costas Katsoularis and Soti Triantafyllou. Test run This is just a test run – starting this autumn, 40,000 copies will be printed and distributed without any charge to bookstores, as well as multimedia stores that sell books, in Greece and Cyprus, on the first Monday of every month. The publication, which has been designed by Spyros Polykandriotis, also has its own website, www.bookpress.gr. The editorial in this first issue makes it clear that Book Press is addressed to a young audience who are more acquainted with the Internet than with printed matter. It states that the aim is to attract young people who are suspicious toward books because they are constantly told that reading is boring and to let them know that out there, in bookstores, there can be a book that can change their lives as well as thousands of other books that can make their lives better. This is the second free-press publication to be dedicated mostly to books and book-related issues. Already in circulation, Index is more of a magazine than a newspaper. But free-press publications as well as websites on cultural events have already made their presence felt, indicating that an increasing number of people choose this new means of communication, which grabs the attention of young people in places they frequent and informs them in a way that is familiar to them. Such an example is the Greek Festival’s Ef publication, available not only at the venues where performances are held but also in other places around the capital. One should also not forget the two online publications dedicated exclusively to poetry, namely poema.eu and poetikanet.com. The Internet culture magazine Hridanos is one of the first online publications of this kind, if not the first. Unlike in other fields of culture, there are already many specialized websites and blogs about books, with commentaries, presentations and exchanges of views as well as free-press publications dealing almost exclusively with books, authors, editors and the book market. One possible explanation is that those involved in the field are already familiar with the written word in all its forms, be it printed or online.
