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Quercus is turning its forthcoming David Attenborough book Africa: Eye to Eye with the Unknown into an interactive experience via an app.The free QuercusEye app, available on iPhones, iPads and Android devices, will enable readers to hold their phone's camera over the pages of the printed book and see them come to life, with the pictures turning into short video-clips from the accompanying BBC series.
The illustrated book is the first title Quercus has produced with the BBC, and is based on a TV series of the same name, presented by David Attenborough, due to air in the new year.
Created by Michael Bright and produced by the same BBC Natural History Unit team which made "Frozen Planet", the programme seeks to explore Africa at ground level in ways it has never been seen before.
Quercus' publishing director of non-fiction Jenny Heller said: "As soon as I saw the technology in action I knew we had to use it.
"We were able to develop the app quite quickly, and realised that this book would be the perfect place to use it. When we pitched it to the BBC they understood what we were trying to do and were very supportive."
Powered by Aurasma, the app will let readers watch 21 different video clips, with three released after each episode is broadcast.
Heller said: "We're not taking away from the TV series. We hope people will want to go and watch it, and at the same time, the video clips enhance the books—it's very reciprocal."
The technology has already been used on Quercus' humour title, Life in Five Seconds by Italian designers Matteo Civaschi and Gianmarco Milesi. They were given the chance to produce their own videos to secretly embed in the book, which can be revealed by the app.
Heller said: "It's amazing to think how much we will be able to do with technology like this. It could have a huge impact on cookery books, for example. People still like to have physical books, and having videos alongside that will only enhance them."
Matt Mills, head of global partnerships at Aurasma, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to be working with Quercus to bring this astonishing new book on Africa to digital life. The BBC Natural History Unit is the world's leading producer of wildlife programming and now, with the launch of the QuercusEye app, that same breathtaking content will also be available from the physical page."
The book and app will be launched with a marketing campaign in December. The book, by Attenborough and Bright, will be published on 6th December costing £25 in hardback, while an e-book version costing £12.99 will be released on 20th December.