Penguin ties with USC in bookcrossing deal

by Staff, Brand Republic 08-Feb-08, 10:20

LONDON - Penguin Books is to team up with clothes retailer USC in a 'bookcrossing' promotion to back the launch of the new novel by Kevin Brooks.

Penguin will release 100 copies of Brooks' new novel 'Black Rabbit Summer' across the UK, in what is known as bookcrossing -- the act of leaving a book in a public place to be picked up, read and enjoyed by someone else.

The first person to tell Penguin they have found one of the books will win £150 worth of Penguin Books.

The idea behind bookcrossing is that the next person does the same and the book is passed on down the line.

The books are then registered on the San Francisco-based website bookcrossing.com, which tracks the titles as they make their literary journeys across towns, cities and countries.

To ensure that the books in USC stores are not mistaken for ones that someone has accidentally left behind, they will all will be covered in sticky labels proclaiming "I'm free! I'm not lost!", with details of how to register them online.

Penguin will begin its push on February 11 with the release of 60 books into USC stores around the country, with the remaining 40 being left on buses, trains and tubes, or hidden in pubs and cafes.

Young adult author Brooks' latest book 'Black Rabbit Summer' tells the dark tale of murder, blackmail and twisted romance. It follows his 2005 book, the anti-drug parable 'Candy', which told the story of a young heroin addicted prostitute.

More details about the bookcrossing project are available on Penguin's teen website.