The Ledge
www.the-ledge.nl
The Ledge is a new and innovative literary website which
centers around interviews with national and international writers. The base has
been formed by a digital version of Pieter Steinz’ reading guide for world
literature, a part of which weekly appears in the NRC newspaper. The mainstay of
the site is Stacey Knecht, an American who lives in the Netherlands for years
now. She translated several novels and received a couple of awards for her work.
Maurits de Bruijn is responsible for the technical and graphic parts of the
site. Together they started up The Ledge in their spare time as a beautiful
building with rooms and libraries where visitors can get lost and be inspired to
read. With the help of Digitale Pioniers interactive features were added to the
website.
Impact
The Ledge is received enthusiastically, by users as well as
by publishers and writers. The Ledge was a guest at the Crossing Border festival
where Stacey did live interviews (to be listened to on the site a little later).
There are talks going on with NRC’s book club about a possible cooperation.
Writers enjoy working with The Ledge and, quite unexpectedly, come forward with
ideas for content about their work. The rooms in the house are popular as well.
A network of young Austrian writers and artists will get their own room, with
interviews and fragments from their work. The music students and the Crossing
Border festival get their own rooms as well. Slowly a network with qualified
people is growing who deliver content for the site. A literary critic for
instance offered already published interviews. Much thinking is being done about
the possibility to rent out rooms to publishers, and about other ways to
generate income and expand The Ledge.
This project was executed between December 2004 and June
2005.
Contact
The Ledge
Stacey Knecht
www.the-ledge.nl
