Stars have a whale of a time on Moby-Dick project
The Moby-Dick Big Read has been two years in the making and will run for more than three months from its launch at the Plymouth International Book Festival in September. Some of the nation’s best loved stars – from Sir David Attenborough to Stephen Fry, Benedict Cumberbatch, Tilda Swinton, Fiona Shaw and Simon Callow – are among those supporting the project, along with international personalities from across the globe. But the cast, reading a total of 136 chapters, also includes community leaders and young people. Between them they have created an incredible digital version of Herman Melville’s prophetic masterpiece, first published in 1851, but now reimagined for the age of the internet. The project is co-curated by Philip Hoare, artist-in-residence at Plymouth University’s Marine Institute, and the acclaimed artist Angela Cockayne, from Bath Spa University. It is hosted by Peninsula Arts at Plymouth University. Hoare said: “Moby-Dick is a novel that everyone has heard of but very few people have read. This is a way of introducing it to a new audience and is something people can pick up as and when they choose – it is completely suited to the digital age. The project will be officially launched at the festival on Sunday 16 September, with Simon Callow reading to a live audience, along with specially commissioned film and music. The first chapter of the book, read by Tilda Swinton, will appear online the following day, with a new chapter being released daily thereafter. Highlights include Sir David Attenborough’s poignant recording of “Does the Whale's Magnitude Diminish?
