writingWA releases tablet apps for illustrated Indigenous stories

writingWA has released two tablet apps based on illustrated stories by Indigenous writers, as part of its Project 360 initiative.

Mamang is based on the picture book of the same name by Kim Scott, Iris Woods, Roma Winmar and the Wirlomin Noongar Language and Stories Project, and published by UWA Publishing. The app features narration in both Noongar and English, with the option to read along with audio or to read alone, and includes an audio and written glossary for translations.

The second app is Caterpillar and Butterfly, based on the picture book by Ambelin Kwaymullina and published by Fremantle Press. The app also provides read-along and read-alone settings, as well as puzzles and games designed to aid memory, visual literacy and numeracy. As previously reported by Books+Publishing, writingWA launched Project 360 last year with the release of the desktop app for Caterpillar and Butterfly through the State Library of WA (SLWA) website.

‘The interactive elements that have been incorporated into both apps are designed to enhance the reader’s engagement with story and language,’ said writingWA CEO Sharon Flindell. ‘writingWA is proud to have had the opportunity to create a new life in the digital space for these two beautiful picture books and we have more WA children’s book apps in the planning.’

Project 360 is a writingWA initiative which seeks to ‘demonstrate to creators and publishers the potential for developing multi-platform products from manuscripts and other creative content that might otherwise have only been considered for publication in book format.’

Both apps were developed by Gestalt Studios and funded by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, the SLWA’s Better Beginnings program and writingWA’s Literary Lions donor program. Each app is available to download from the iTunes and Google Play stores, and cost $2.49 each.