Interactive app for Dawkins from Transworld

Transworld is releasing its first interactive book app, The Magic of Reality, to accompany the release of the latest title from evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, which seeks to explain the wonders of the universe.

The highly illustrated book, also called The Magic of Reality, sets out to answer questions about the universe, covering science as well as mythology, from "What is the sun?" to "Why do bad things happen?". Transworld worked with digital content company Somethin' Else to create the app, which will contain the full content of the book—which was released last week—but with a new layout and navigation to allow browsing.

The app also features exclusive video and audio from Dawkins, interactive demonstrations and games, as well as all of Dave McKean's original book illustrations and more than 100 animations. Interactive demonstrations feature a voiceover from Dawkins explaining what is happening on-screen, with the user able to manipulate demonstrations such as how white light splits to become a rainbow when travelling through a prism.

The Magic of Reality app has been submitted to Apple's iBookstore, and will be available in the next week, priced £9.99 in the UK and $13.99 in the US. It is currently only available on the iPad, but Bantam Press publishing director Sally Gaminara said in the future it "may well" move on to other devices.

Transworld is hoping to attract Dawkins' existing readership, but the publisher is also aiming the app at families, with the hope that they will share and revisit it.