Digital scholarship blog

Enabling innovative research with British Library digital collections

23 February 2018

The Cartographer's Confession

Last summer I posted about the Ambient Literature project, which is researching if and how digital media can create bridges between story and place. Forming the heart of this project, three authors; Kate Pullinger, James Attlee and Duncan Speakman have each created new experimental works that respond to the presence of a reader, and these aim to show how we can redefine the rules of the reading experience through innovative use of technology.

I’m pleased to report the one of the Ambient Literature commissioned works; The Cartographer's Confession by James Attlee is the winner of the 8th annual if:book award for New Media Writing, which was presented at Bournemouth University recently.

Cartographersconfession
if:book award winner James Attlee, with (left to right) Chris Meade, Justine Solomons, Jim Pope, Andy Campbell, Stella Wisdom and Emma Whittaker

The Cartographer’s Confession is an immersive story based in London, where readers interact with the app on location, to discover the long-hidden secrets of ‘The Cartographer’.  Containing visual material, as well as having an original musical soundtrack, this is a ‘mixed reality’ experience. Accepting his award from if:book director Chris Meade, Attlee confessed that this blending of sound, video and story is something he had wanted to do previously alongside his print-based works, but he wasn’t able to make it happen until collaborating with digital producer Emma Whittaker.

I very much enjoyed this work, especially the music, and I also encourage you to try the experience. All you will need is a smartphone, a set of headphones, and the ability to visit a number of locations in London, through which the story unfolds (though there is also an ‘armchair mode’ if you are unable to get to London). You can download the app for free and it is available on iOS and Android.

Furthermore, as Ambient Literature is research project, they are very keen to speak with participants; to learn about their reactions to the work. So if you have completed The Cartographer's Confession (or are close to finishing it) and willing to be interviewed about your experience for about 15 minutes (either in person or over Skype, Facetime etc.), please fill out this form  and one of the project researchers will be in touch via email to arrange a time to talk. If you have any questions about this process, please contact Dr Michael Marcinkowski.

This post is by Digital Curator Stella Wisdom, on twitter as @miss_wisdom and member of the Ambient Literature Advisory Board.

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