At Packabook we love books and we love travel....
If we are travelling somewhere, we like to be
armed with novels set in the place we are going, so that when we are there we can have a much
deeper relationship with the place itself. Reading fiction brings that place and its history alive
in a way that no guide book can.
And of course, if you have no travel plans on the agenda, reading a book set in a wonderful place
can certainly help you feel as if you have just visited the place itself. Try reading a book set on
an exotic Greek island and see what we mean!
Packabook categorizes fiction into the countries in which the books are set, and then explores how
well each novel relates to its location. It's an opportunity to take a virtual holiday, and live
for a time in another place.
But there is much more to the Packabook
philosophy than just imagining yourself on a beach in Greece or sitting at a pavement cafe in Paris
You will notice we also include books from places you might not consider your average holiday
location, like Afghanistan.
We believe that reading people's stories encourages the
understanding of difference in culture, religion and experience. It is impossible to read a novel
like Khaled Hosseini's 'A Thousand Splendid Suns' and not see Afghanistan with new eyes. While we are not naive enough to
believe that books alone can bring world peace, we do think that by making it easier for people
to read novels from countries other than their own, it helps us all to take one more step
towards it.
And we have a big dream. Packabook is in its very early stages,
but as we grow, we will doing what we can to support literacy programmes around the world, in the
belief that the magic of fiction should be available to everyone. For the moment, we encourage you
to consider supporting Room to Read, an organisation that builds libraries and works to educate girls in the
developing world. You can see more about their work here.
We are also looking forward to a time when we can develop writing
programmes in countries from where we hear few or no stories, and perhaps publishing those stories
on this site.
That is all some way in the future, but for now, we encourage you
to embark on your own literary journey. Allow us to be your tour guide and let’s explore the rich
history and culture of this magnificent planet together.
Now go and choose a book, and sign up to receive our latest reviews and updates in your inbox...Happy
Reading!
Packabook
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