Putting the reader first

The literature world concentrates mainly on writing and publishing. This is true of both the commercial sector and the arts funding sector. Opening the Book's unique contribution has been to introduce the concept of intervening at the point of consumption.

Intervening to support the reader is not at the expense of the writer or the publisher. Reader development work grows the audience. A confident reading audience, willing to take risks and try new things, benefits the whole production chain of the literature industry, especially those parts of it which are more vulnerable and less commercially viable - new writing, translations, independent presses, voices from outside the mainstream.