Ask Penguin

Inspired by Reddit AMAs and early-era Twitter Q&As, I developed Ask Penguin: a virtual equivalent of asking a trusted friend for a book recommendation. Occurring on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram at the same time each week (or every quarter, in the case of Instagram), readers can share their preferences and ask Penguin what to read next, getting a personalised suggestion based on their taste, directly from a member of the Penguin digital team in response. Since starting the project, authors are now occasionally invited to participate too – such as when Dolly Alderton gave out reading recommendations during a Valentine's Day session or when founder of National Poetry Day, William Sieghart, recommended specific poems one National Poetry Day. Illustration by Jayde Perkin