The initiative will create experiences that will allow the potential reader to immerse themselves in the world of any book and live its plot as if it were one of the characters.
The Valencian agency, Hikaru, has announced Read Me VR, an initiative resulting from the union between literature and virtual reality, which consists of a line of immersive experiences based on books in order to contribute to the promotion of reading. How would it be to put ourselves in the shoes of Colonel Aureliano Buendía when he is in the firing squad in a hundred years of solitude, or explore the colorful and fantastic world of The Little Prince. These are some of the issues that we could experience, because until now feeling an integral part of a book was only possible in our imagination, but thanks to virtual reality this changes.
“The user of the VR experience will be able to become the protagonist of the book and explore the most relevant scenarios of the novel,” says Irene Milian, CEO of Hikaru.
The goal of Readme VR is to create emotionally impactful experiences that encourage reading. “For example, we can create an experience based on the central event of a book and cut the immersion just when it climaxes. In that way, we leave the potential reader with an intrigue that he will want to solve, and the way he has to do it is to read the book,” explains Milián. The project is especially aimed at publishers, book fairs and other literary events such as awards and presentations. For Irene, the publishing sector is a little behind in terms of the use of virtual reality, but she says that this is because no one has yet explained to them how it can specifically help them gain readers and expand the market.
Léeme VR is a project created in collaboration with Léeme, an online literary outreach program, whose creator, Irene Rodrigo, is the director of communication of Hikaru.
