Unique global writing project unleashes the power of collaboration, demonstrating how the world communicates, connects and works

NORWALK, Conn. – A book collaboration of epic scale is underway with 14 celebrated and award-winning international writers and creative talents. Xerox’s Project: SET THE PAGE FREE^TM will feature chapters by each of the contributors – including a poem and a song – that together tell the ultimate story of the modern workplace, each with a unique creative perspective on the working world. 

SetThePageFree.com showcases an unparalleled array of contributors. The website – which launches today – is the initial reveal of short video documentaries, exclusive photos, book excerpts and podcasts for the first wave of contributors including Lee Child, Joshua Ferris, Roxane Gay and Gary Shteyngart. In the weeks ahead, additional content from Jonathan Ames, Billy Collins, Jonathan Coulton, Sloane Crosley, Jonathan Safran Foer, Chip Kidd, Valeria Luiselli, Alain Mabanckou, Aimee Mann and Joyce Carol Oates will be revealed. 

Xerox has always focused on innovating the way the world communicates, connects and works. Today, that means delivering breakthrough experiences that allow people to move freely between their physical and digital worlds. This project captures that spirit in a creative, mainstream way.

Xerox technology, software and apps are helping the contributors collaborate throughout the project – whether it’s translating languages using the Xerox Easy Translator Service app, voice recognition technology or scanning and sharing their work in the cloud. 

“We are at the heart of the changes happening in the modern workplace,” said Jeff Jacobson, chief executive officer, Xerox. “No matter if you are an author penning pages, a salesperson prepping for a customer visit or a small business owner looking to expand, people need to work seamlessly wherever they are. This project brings those connections to life.”

As part of the project, Xerox is aiding global literacy through donations to 92nd Street Y and Worldreader.

The project has been in collaboration with 92nd Street Y, a world-class nonprofit community and cultural center that provided an unparalleled lineup of authors and artists, as well as the editing for production of the finished book. 92nd Street Y forges deep connections between readers and writers all over the world through their global literacy outreach programs, digital festivals, online seminars and livestream events.

“What a thrilling opportunity to commission the brilliant writers who grace our storied stage to explore questions of work today and together create our very own modern workplace in the process,” said Bernard Schwartz, director of 92nd Street Y’s Unterberg Poetry Center.

Worldreader, a global nonprofit organization, shares Xerox’s belief in the transformative potential of technology. It champions digital reading in underserved communities by creating a world where everyone can be a reader, empowering over 500,000 children and families in 50 countries to read from its free digital library every month.

The book will be released internationally as a free eBook in English in late October. Beginning Sept. 19, the French and Latin American Spanish versions of the site will be launched, for a global program rollout to 22 countries. 

For updates on the project including author videos, podcast interviews, contributor excerpts and the latest information about the book release, visit SetThePageFree.com and follow #SetThePageFree. 

The project was developed with Xerox’s partner Y&R New York, with media strategy and execution provided by MEC Global.