What started off as an ambitious idea to start up a bookclub for like-minded friends soon became a virtual entity which the creators called ¶ARAGRAPH.

We’ll be honest here. When ¶ARAGRAPH was first conceptualised, we were more certain of what we didn’t want ¶ARAGRAPH to be. We didn’t want to be just another site where you can find thousands of book reviews done up by reviewers who mostly cater to book-sellers and distributors (read: who are paid to make the book sound better than it actually is). We wanted to create something where EVERYONE can contribute AND comment, whether you are a graphic novel enthusiast or a compulsive magazine collector, a die-hard vampire fiction fan or a Literature professor, or someone who only likes to read non-fiction. We also didn’t want to limit ourselves to just books or just reviews – you can contribute your thoughts about a magazine,an article in the New York Times or even a blog entry.

So with that in mind, we have three somewhat lofty visions of what this site can and ought to be.

1. ¶ARAGRAPH wants to be an open space for raw commentary and dialogue between aspiring writers, reviewers and the readers who bother to read them. Just try not to be too verbose in your submissions; short and sweet is best.

2. ¶ARAGRAPH wants to encourage readers to write. Don’t just stop at reading a book or an article – write about it and keep it as personal as possible.  Remember, reviews of ALL forms of writing* are welcome.  

3. ¶ARAGRAPH dreams of having an online bookstore where registered users can purchase or exchange new and used books. The creators will, without a doubt, procrastinate about this one, so do remind them from time to time.

Let’s begin.

*we are still deciding whether to include reviews on text found on drink cans and cereal boxes.