Literature: Online book grabs worldwide attention

Campaign    The 4th Annual Stratford Literary Festival
Client            Stratford Literary Festival
PR team       Quicksilver Public Relations
Timescale    February-June 2011
Budget         Under £5,000


Objectives

• To raise general awareness of the event through digital and traditional media
• To increase ticket sales.

Strategy and plan
Quicksilver worked with Stratford Literary Festival to launch grabaline.co.uk, an online initiative that saw celebrated author Ian Rankin (pictured) pen the first line of a collaborative novel. Visitors to the website added lines to the story, with authors from across the world helping to develop the book. It was concluded at the festival by novelist David Nicholls. Quicksilver promoted the festival’s author line-up vigorously through local and national PR.

Measurement and evaluation
Grab A Line attracted more than 200 authors from 14 different countries. The campaign generated more than 100 items of media coverage, including in The Sunday Times, The Sunday Telegraph, Birmingham Post, specialist titles such as The Bookseller and regional What’s On guides, and on BBC Radio 2’s Arts Show.

Results
Grab A Line’s success prompted actress and author Dame Harriet Walter to perform an additional slot in the 2011 line-up. The festival had its best ticket sales ever.