As you may know, I’m french, and I maintain two blogs alive, one in french, and one in english. One thing I remarked when I began The Literary Detective blog is that in the french literary blogosphere (as we call it) we tend to prefer SWAP whereas you english speaking people prefer reading challenges. Well I’m in for several challenges and I’m trying to keep up with them. But here, I want to propose you a SWAP for a change. It is called Around Your World. I’m organizing it with my friend Celsmoon, because we wanted to create a real worldwide literary exchange. So look below for further information on the topic.
SWAP Around Your World
1. What’s a SWAP?
2. The Around Your World SWAP
3. Registration
1. As you well know, the word SWAP means an exchange. The goal of a SWAP is therefore to exchange things with other people. It’s not a simple exchange between two persons. It’s more a kind of chain. You send something to someone who will in her/his turn send something to someone else, and so on, and someone will send you something and will receive something from someone else than you. It’s clear, isn’t it?
Well, let’s make it simple :
Step 1 : You register
Step 2 : You send us back the filled-in questionnaire we’ll send you after you registered
Step 3 : We’ll send your questionnaire to a person X, ( who will have filled in her/his questionnaire)
Step 4 : We’ll send you the questionnaire of a person Y
Step 5 or 6 : You think and you prepare the parcel for Y and you send it, and at the same time you keep us inform about the sending
Step 6 or 5 : You receive your parcel from X, and of course you keep us inform about the receiving
I hope everything’s clear now!
2. Well let’s talk about the theme of this SWAP now.
As in the french blogosphere a certain number of bloggers read in original version, at least in english, Celsmoon and me decided to organize a SWAP Around Your World, that’s to say the theme is foreign languages. Watch out! It does not concern ONLY English or French, there is no restriction of languages. Everything’s OK, but you need to think of the availability. It must not be easy for example to find a book written in the dialect of the Shu Province in China;o)
Who can participate?
Anyone, we’re not sectarian. Don’t feel excluded if you don’t know any foreign language. Maybe you want to discover a new language or you simply want to have your favorite book in its original version or i another language just for the pleasure of looking at it on your bookshelf or to begin a collection?
You’ll be able in your questionnaire to precise your preferences : novel in original version or a translation in any language, a learning method for adults or for children, a manga in japanese, a cartoon book for children in German, whatever, you’re free!
Important information : This SWAP will be launched at the same time on my french blog http://chrestomanci.over-blog.com and on Celsmoon’s blog http://celsmoon.over-blog.com.
So there’ll surely be participants from all over the globe, which according to us will make this exchange only more interesting. In you questionnaire you’ll be able to precise if you wish to send your parcel in another country ( North America or Europe) or only in your own country.
What must your parcel contain?
The goal of this SWAP is to discover and make discover a foreign language but also a different culture. Therefore your parcel must contain at least :
- 1 book (pocket size) in a foreign language (Be careful, if the person whom you must send it is French for example, the book could be in english. You need to think foreign language according to the receiver
- 1 object or product in relation with your country or region if you receiver is not the same nationality as you. Or 1 object or product in relation with the chosen language if the receiver is the same nationality as you
- A bit of music from your country or in the chosen language could be a plus, we thought it could be fun, but it remains an option
Now it’s up to you to set a budget and the number of items in your parcel : you can put everything and anything, as long as it is coherent with the theme and the concerned language(s). But be careful, just think to count the postage fares in your budget especially if you agree to send abroad, it can sometimes be expensive.
The SWAP planning
Today May 12th, we launche the SWAP officially. The registrations will be open until June 8th.
Once your registration is validated, we’ll send you the questionnaire to be filled in, and you’ll have to send it back to us with your answers before June 29th. Anyone who will not have sent her/his questionnaire back at this date will see her/his registration invalidated.
We’ll do the drawing lots just after while we’re at it, and you’ll receive the questionnaire of your receiver on July 6th. From then on you’ll have until September 15th to send your parcel.
We let you all this time, because it will be summer vacation. And for those who’re going abroad, you’ll maybe have the occasion to find some things to fill your parcel.
How should I send my parcel?
In an ideal world, the better would be a traced parcel, but considering the price, we don’t force anyone, especially if you have to send abroad. A simple sending will be ok, but just keep in touch with us if you don’t have news from your receiver or if you don’t receive anything. We’ll try to check.
To register, you have to send an e-mail to this address swap_around_your_world@yahoo.fr.
The reception of the questionnaire is proof of aknowledge receipt of you registration. If you don’t receive anything after several days, send us an e-mail.
If you have any questions or if you need more information, you can also send us an e-mail to this address.
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