iVillage Book Club Connection

NBCUniversal’s iVillage and Focus Features Celebrate Classic and Bestselling Novels Jane Eyre and One Day with the launch of iVillage Book Club Connection – in support of motion picture versions.

iVillage Strengthens its commitment to reading with the launch of its first digital book club at www.iVillage.com/jointheclub on March 28.

New York, NY, March 28, 2011 – NBCUniversal’s iVillage and Focus Features have forged a partnership timed to this year’s Focus movies of two beloved books, Jane Eyre and One Day.  As part of iVillage’s ongoing commitment to reading, iVillage is launching the iVillage Book Club Connection, its very first women-focused book hub – with Charlotte Brontë’s classic novel Jane Eyre and David Nicholls’ bestselling novel One Day being two of the book club selections.  With over 100,000 book conversations happening on iVillage, the iVillage Book Club Connection will provide these avid readers with a virtual forum for meaningful community conversations about book themes. 

The two-book partnership begins with Jane Eyre , the basis for the new Focus movie Jane Eyre, starring Mia Wasikowska, which opened this month in select cities to critical acclaim and the highest per-theater average gross of any 2011 movie so far.  Each month, iVillage will select a book that will be the focus for that month’s book club read.  One of the summer selection books will be One Day, which the author has adapted into Focus’ much-anticipated new movie starring Anne Hathaway and opening this July. 

“Jane Eyre is a classic novel with one of the most beloved leading heroines of all time. Just the kind of woman who connects with and inspires the iVillage Community,” said Catherine Balsam-Schwaber, Senior Vice President of Marketing, iVillage. “Our collaboration with Focus Features will encourage our community members to share the joy of reading and inspire storytelling while engaging with each other in the extended experience Focus will offer through the cinematic interpretation of Jane Eyre.”

“iVillage was the natural choice to partner with.  With their robust digital community of women, we are directly tapping into a sizable audience for these films,” said Nicole Butte, Vice President, New Media, Focus Features. “The iVillage Book Club Connection is a direct conduit to reaching these women and getting them excited about great stories.”

The book club destination will feature everything from “Tools and Tips on How To Create Book Clubs;” Jane Eyre -themed articles such as “3 Life Lessons Modern Women Can Learn from Jane Eyre; ” to “Easy Appetizer Ideas” for serving at your first book gathering!  Other page-turning content includes “Hot Actor Alert: Jane Eyre Star Michael Fassbender;” “14 Great Books Turned Into Movies;” “10 Books For Style Mavens;” and “Parenting Books We’re Talking About.” 

For those women who want to join the book conversations, but participate in an actual book club, iVillage has created new dedicated book message boards, where they can discuss the story themes directly with the iVillage community at: http://forums.ivillage.com/t5/The-Book-Club/ct-p/iv-bcbookclub.

Participants in the iVillage Book Club Connection who answer iVillage’s weekly story-themed question will be eligible to win a Kindle.  In addition, 25 community members who join the iVillage Book Club Connection will receive a special “Book Club Kit,” which includes copies of the selected book and classic books that have been turned into award-winning Focus films, such as Pride and Prejudice and Atonement ; the Jane Eyre film soundtrack; and a book journal.