David Eagleman’s Sum

David Eagleman’s book Sum shot to the No 2 spot on Amazon following a tweet from Stephen Fry. The slim volume has now been adapted for the stage by Brian Eno, in an event which will formed a key part of the Brighton Festival.

This Is The Afterlives is a multimedia production in which Eagleman’s short, sharp vignettes are ‘reincarnated’ for a live stage encounter by a diverse cast of readers, including the author. The readings are accompanied by visual images from Wordsalad’s Nick Robertson and live music by Brian Eno.

To coincide with this adaptation, Canongate Books released a deluxe gatefold edition of the Sum audiobook. Currently only available to buy as a digital download, this audio features a stellar cast of readers: Gillian Anderson, Emily Blunt, Nick Cave, Jarvis Cocker, Jack Davenport, Lisa Dwan, David Eagleman, Noel Fielding, Kerry Fox, Stephen Fry, Clarke Peters, Lemn Sissay and Harriet Walter.

On May 24^th the stories were released as downloadable paired ‘bundles’, onto Audible.co.uk and iTunes. In additional to the initial release of twenty pairs, there are plans for future releases with reimagined and remixed content.

An enhanced application for iPhone and iPod Touch, developed in conjunction with Enhanced Editions was released on 20^th May. This brand new app will contain the full text, the full audiobook and nine videos of David Eagleman discussing the book, its themes, origins and impact.

Alongside these releases, Ridley Scott’s production company RSA have been commissioned to make a number of short films inspired by the scenarios of Sum, as part of a broader partnership with Canongate Books to bring its content to a wider audience in different media and forms.