Xerox Unveils Book Collaboration in Support of Global Literacy

Xerox Collaborative Book Contains Work by Jonathan Ames, Lee Child, Billy Collins, Jonathan Safran Foer, Roxane Gay, Aimee Mann, Gary Shteyngart and More; Cover designed by Chip Kidd

The book is the culmination of Xerox’s Project: SET THE PAGE FREE, in collaboration with the 92nd Street Y. Fourteen award-winning international writers and creative talents each contributed their views and memories of work and working.

“These stories take place on street corners and in classrooms, in parking lots and Genius Bars. And because this virtual office is occupied by writers, who are rarely in danger of under-thinking an issue, there’s also plenty of nostalgia, for longing for the days of warm photo copies and nubby carpeting,” says New York Times bestselling author, Sloane Crosley, in the book’s introduction.

The contributing authors and creative talents include:

Jonathan Ames, author, screenwriter, You Were Never Really Here, Bored to Death
Lee Child, author, Jack Reacher thriller series
Billy Collins, poet, The Rain in Portugal, Aimless Love
Jonathan Coulton, singer-songwriter, Solid State, Smoking Monkey
Sloane Crosley, author, essayist, The Clasp, I Was Told There’d be Cake
Joshua Ferris, author, The Dinner Party and Other Stories, Then We Came to the End
Jonathan Safran Foer, author, Here I Am, Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close
Roxane Gay, author, Hunger, Bad Feminist
Chip Kidd, award-winning graphic designer
Valeria Luiselli, author, Tell Me How it Ends, The Story of My Teeth
Alain Mabanckou, author, Black Moses, Broken Glass
Aimee Mann, singer-songwriter, Mental Illness, Save Me
Joyce Carol Oates, author, A Book of American Martyrs, We Were the Mulvaneys
Gary Shteyngart, author, Little Failure: A Memoir, Super Sad True Love Story

“Project: SET THE PAGE FREE is a creative expression of the value Xerox has created since the company was founded – which started with helping people work, communicate and collaborate, and today transcends working freely between physical and digital worlds,” said Jeff Jacobson, Chief Executive Officer, Xerox.

Xerox and the 92nd Street Y joined forces for this one-of-a kind project, tapping into Xerox’s technology to help the contributors collaborate, while 92Y secured the lineup of authors and provided editing for the final book.

92nd Street Y forges deep connections between readers and writers all over the world through their global literacy outreach programmes, digital festivals, online seminars and livestream events.

“What a thrilling opportunity to commission the brilliant writers who grace our storied stage to explore questions of work today and together create our very own modern workplace in the process,” said Bernard Schwartz, Director of 92nd Street Y’s Unterberg Poetry Centre.

As part of the project, Xerox is aiding global literacy through donations to 92Y and Worldreader, a global nonprofit organisation that champions digital reading in underserved communities.

“Content no longer needs to be confined by format or borders. We are committed to harnessing the power of technology to bring information and inspiration to readers around the world. This project makes that connection and shows how technology can bring powerful new possibilities to life,” said David Risher. CEO, Worldreader.