Vending machines do well in school settings—but what if instead of junk food they served up short stories?
French publisher Short Édition has developed a machine that dispenses short stories that are one, three, or five minutes long. Fast Company reports that the city of Grenoble will soon have a handful of these vending machines. They’ll be free to use, and each will have about 600 different works chosen by Short Édition subscribers and authors.
“Quentin Plepé, the publisher’s co-founder, and his team came up with the idea a couple years ago as they were standing around a snack machine in their office,” reports Fast Company. “What if the same concept could be applied to literature, they wondered.”
After two years of development, the design was released last month. It will roll out in Grenoble first. According to a Short Édition spokesperson, some schools are interested in the idea, especially for libraries.
Would love to hear from teachers: Do you think the novelty of these machines could entice your students to read? Do they have a chance of competing with the infinite games and reading materials available on cell phones?
Image: Short Édition