Jolabokaflod 2016 has launched: send in your book recommendations now

Jolabokaflod e1447675636129

Christopher Norris launched the first Jolabokaflod Book Campaign in November 2015, to extend the reach of the Icelandic literary tradition to the UK and the rest of the world. The Jolabokaflod Book Campaign encourages people everywhere to Buy books to Give as gifts to be Read at or after festive occasions. Here he updates us on the 2016 campaign.

The Jolabokaflod Book Campaign launched ‘Jolabokaflod UK 2016’ at Bókamessa (Reykjavík Book Fair) on 19 November 2016. This Campaign is a non-for-profit generic marketing initiative established to introduce the 72-year-old Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóð (‘Christmas Book Flood’, in English) to the UK and beyond. We launched a national PR campaign on 16 November 2016 via digital and traditional media to promote the idea of families making Jolabokaflod part of the way they celebrate Christmas.

In tandem, we have launched a rewards-based crowdfunding project called Book Bulletin, running until February 2017, that emulates the Bókatíðindi (‘Book Tidings’, in English) catalogue of new titles sent to every Icelandic household: a cornerstone of the Jólabókaflóð tradition. Our UK version – the Book Bulletin – is an online catalogue of book recommendations of the books people love, collected from the book trade and readers everywhere. Each entry is accompanied by external links to people’s personal and professional websites for visitors to explore, as you can see from Derek Farrell’s choice of The Kite Runner by Khaled Hosseini on the ‘Contemporary fiction’ page of the Book Bulletin catalogue.

Whilst the Jolabokaflod Book Campaign is self-funding the marketing and publicity for our Christmas 2016 campaign, funds raised from crowdfunding will be ploughed into an enhanced campaign for Christmas 2017.

Until 2 December 2016 – the date of the Futurebook Conference – you can make Book Bulletin recommendations for FREE to [email protected], although donations will be gratefully received; after this date, all recommendations will incur a small contribution to the cause.

British authors Derek Farrell, Caroline Mawer and Ian Winn have already sent me details of the books they love; we look forward to receive your recommendations, too, very soon.

Christopher NorrisChris is editor and development executive for the Insight Film Festival and founder of the recently launched Jolabokaflod Book Campaign. He also freelances at CopyGhosting Editorial Services.

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