Penguin Books and Augmented Reality (AR) firm Zappar have announced a partnership to deliver interactive experience for the Penguin English Library – a new collection of beautifully designed books that celebrate 100 of the best novels written in English.

Using the Zappar App, readers will be able to bring elements of four of the books to life with a range of bespoke material, including animations of Coralie Bickford-Smith’s illustrated covers, video, audio and extracts. The app initially offer readers the Zappar experience on two novels, Moby Dick, and Lady Audleys Secret, with two further titles to come later in the year.

To experience the interactivity, download the free Zappar App from iTunes or Google Play, locate the Penguin content in the menu, point your phone at the cover of the book and watch as it reveals an array of digital content and online destinations. The companies say this signifies not only a first for AR, but also, an original and immersive way of introducing some of the best-loved books of the last 300 years to a new generation of readers.

Originally launched in 1963, the Penguin English Library published some of the most captivating works ever written in English. The new collection, which launched on 26th April, starts with Robinson Crusoe and spans two centuries until Dubliners was published just before the First World War.

“The Penguin English Library is about celebrating the ultimate readers’ editions that can be cherished, collected, given, and kept for a lifetime,” says Penguin Press marketing director, Nicola Hill. The striking designs really elevate this series, and were delighted to work with Zappar on an inventive way of using it to celebrate and share a fresh publishing idea.”