You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Penguin Books is offering users of file-transfer service WeTransfer the chance to read an excerpt of Will Self’s new novel, Shark (Viking, 4th September). It has also unveiled the global artwork for the novel on the service.
The collaboration between Penguin Books and WeTransfer began earlier this year, when street artist designs for covers of Penguin Books titles including Zoe Heller’s The Believers and Nick Cave’s And the Ass Saw the Angel were showcased on the service.
The collaboration is said to have resulted in more than 25,000 clicks in 27 days on the image for Zadie Smith’s The Embassy of Cambodia (Hamish Hamilton), which led users through to Penguin’s online store.
Today WeTransfer is showing Shark’s cover, with the image linking through to retail partner Waterstones.com, where people can pre-order the book, which is out on 4th September.
Users can also visit the Penguin Blog and access an excerpt from the book by typing in the password "wetransfer".
Shark features psychiatrist Zack Busner, a character who has appeared in previous works by Self including the novels Umbrella (Bloomsbury) and The Book of Dave (Penguin) and turns on an actual incident in the Second World War when the ship which had delivered the fissile material to the south Pacific to be dropped on Hiroshima was subsequently sunk by a Japanese submarine with the loss of 900 men, including 200 killed in the largest shark attack ever recorded.
The extract uploaded on WeTransfer features Busner removing a blade from a safety razor, with the action interspersed with his thoughts on a variety of characters and recollections from therapy sessions he has conducted.
Celeste Ward-Best, campaigns executive at Penguin Books UK, said: “We’re delighted to partner with WeTransfer to unveil the daring cover of Will Self’s, Shark.
“WeTransfer is one of the most exciting and progressive online businesses out there and we’ve long admired their commitment to showcasing timeless and innovative design.”
Nalden, the chief marketing officer and co-founder of WeTransfer, said: “Striking imagery has been a mainstay of WeTransfer; showcasing the work of exciting artists is an integral part of our user-experience. Likewise, Penguin has continuously enlisted adventurous designers with a strong vision to bring its publications to life, showcasing that printed books are still a canvas for creativity.”
The collaboration between Penguin Books and WeTransfer aims to “bring together print and digital creativity”.