“We chose Radio Oxford because we wanted to generate some local interest first. It worked well. Malcolm Boyden was great.”

Oxford based innovators Will Flavin and Rob Mumford have launched pageram.net, an exciting and divisive new way to publish fiction online.

A pageram is a novel that is enriched by the opportunities that online publishing provides. It has been described as “the future of eBooks”.

As a story unfolds, not only do you get to know the characters, but you can listen to their music, see their neighbourhoods, hear their thoughts, and (quite bizarrely) interact with them.

“I had the idea 18 months ago, and straightaway I knew it was likely to divide opinion,” says Will. “However, the division is not as clear as I expected. There is a group that really likes it, which is good. And, whilst the other group may not be quite so enthusiastic, they really want to discuss the concept. I find this even more exciting because some of the suggestions they’ve made have been really interesting and positive – particularly regarding possible new applications.”

The first pageram is written by Will’s collaborator in the venture, Oxford writer Rob Mumford. It is a black-comedy that is based in Botley and the City centre, and it includes many well-known landmarks.

“I wrote the story in 2009, and Will thought it was ideal for ramming,” says Rob. “For an author, this new approach is very liberating; it lets you include so much more material and makes you think in new ways. The additional content – known as rams and ramlets – can be very straight forward, or very subtle. For example, during one passage, the mother of the main character is able to comment wistfully on his behaviour, despite the fact that she does not appear in the main story.”

Pageram.net will be taking submissions from authors in October, with the aim to test the concept further, and to introduce new features.

“A pageram is genuinely different from a conventional book or an eBook,” adds Rob. “It requires a new approach from writers (or “wrammers” as we call them), and I think many will rise to the challenge and be inspired by the new opportunities it brings.”

The launch of the site is just the start. Will expects that interest from authors will help it to grow, as will technological developments.

“An interesting aspect of pageramming is that a story can live and evolve,” he explains, “And, the tools available to authors will develop as web-based technology develops.”

It is left to Rob to summarise the project to date, and to identify another link with his home town.

“The site – like so many interesting things that have happened in Oxford – is an experiment. Our hypothesis is that a significant-sized group will like it. If we are wrong, so be it. But, whatever happens, it’s been an interesting and enlightening exercise so far.”