Instagram might not be the obvious place to go for a bit of appreciation of the written word. But users have been getting creative with the photo sharing platform. It's not all sunsets and flat whites on there, you know. People share their favourite quotes; pictures of what they're reading; shots of a young Hunter S. Thompson on the beach. Why not interrupt the selfies on your feed with a little bit of poetry? Most publishers have a nicely curated account, too, so you can keep up to date with the latest releases.
There are even some authors on there giving you a peek into their lives that goes beyond the standard black and white headshot. Yes, a line from Sylvia Plath's Ariel written out in typewriter font can look terribly twee, but, hey, it beats staring at yet another blurry concert shot. Here are a few of our favourites.
Miranda July @mirandajuly
Because the LA-based author is also an artist and filmmaker, she has a better eye than most straight up writers so her Instagram is a charming collective of selfies and shots of amusing incidents she comes across, such as children trying to play hide and seek on the Eurostar. Plus there are some pretty funny pics from when she interviewed Rihanna for the New York Times. Here she is looking a little overwhelmed at having to sign a few copies of her wonderful book The First Bad Man.
Sylvia Plath Poetry @sylviaplathpoetry
For the frustrated schoolgirl in all of us. Not only does this account republish entire short poems such as this vivid, devastating gem, but it also posts pop culture references of the poet, such as Rory reading The Complete Works of Sylvia Plath on a bench in Gilmore Girls, or Woody Allen railing against her in Annie Hall, as well as quotes and sketches.
Subway Book Review @subwaybookreview
This fab account is great for those looking for their next read. And if you like snooping at people's bookshelves, you'll love seeing what everyone on the New York subway is reading. The subject gives a brief outline of the story and a review so far in the caption. Better yet, last week they announced they had started taking submissions from the London Underground. So be sure to up your game and don't get caught out with a copy of Gone Girl.
French words @frenchwords
If you're a sucker for the language of love, every day this account uploads one French word or phrase and its translation. Occasionally they'll throw in a quote from a French author such as Victor Hugo. It's topical too. On Martin Luther King Day last week they updated the account with "J'ai un rêve", or "I have a dream". Basically everything sounds better in French.
Paris Review @parisreview
The quarterly literary magazine's feed is a delightful mix of old covers, short poems, photos of cats relaxing with a copy of the mag, and snippets of interviews with authors from the archive.
This cheeky one is taken from a 1977 issue, in which the author Kurt Vonnegut is grilled by a writer for 'The Art of Fiction No. 64'.
Lit Quotes Daily @litquotesdaily
There is a nice selection of quotes on this account, featuring everyone from F. Scott Fitzgerald to Maya Angelou. However, be warned: it also throws up one of the issues surrounding Instagram poetry, namely that quotes can be taken out of context or misattributed.
This Whitman quote, for instance, has appeared on the 'gram more times than a girl in a face mask but it's actually a paraphrasing of the line: "Day by day and night by night we were together,—All else has long been forgotten by me" taken from Leaves of Grass ' "Once I Pass'd Through a Populous City".
Lesson: research before you regram.
Charles Bukowski Quotes @charlesbukowskiquotes
Easily meandering from misanthropic and vulgar to fragile and reflective, there's a reason everyone loves a Bukowski quote. Plus, his exclusion from the American canon always makes readers feel a little bit dangerous. Here, some of his best quotes and poems appear in an array of graphics.
R.M. Drake @rmdrk
Drake (real name Robert Macias) was working as an art director for a television company in Miami when he started posting excerpts of his writings to social media. His typewritten posts that ruminate on love and loneliness have amassed him 1.4 million followers and he's even released a book, Beautiful Chaos, off the back of it. The stuff is spectacularly mediocre, filled with the sort of sentiment that really moved you when you were a misunderstood 14-year-old, but famous followers, including the Kardashians, have meant he's the most popular poet on Instagram. For better or worse.
Penguin Books UK @penguinukbooks
The most well-known publisher in the UK has a beautifully curated account featuring old covers of classics, new releases, impressive bookshelves, and, of course, the odd quote. On Burns Night this Monday, they included a pic of Robert Burns' Selected Poems with the line "But to see her was to love her." Lovely stuff.
Hot Dudes Reading @hotdudesreading
Be still my beating heart. Behold an entire account dedicated to the the wonderful view that is an attractive man reading. Yes, it's objectifying, but, hey, it's also educational ("oh cool, the new Chabon is out!"). It's little wonder it's amassed 800,000 followers.
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