Launch of babelia.com

EL PAÍS’s culture magazine supplement -- widely renowned throughout the Spanish-speaking world -- has made its online debut. The weekly arts and culture supplement, which is distributed with the newspaper on Saturdays, is set to become a truly global publication as it  becomes available to audiences around the world thanks to the Internet .

"Babelia is a recognised leader in the field of Ibero-American culture, and the launch of the new website is a decisive step in the overall global commitment of El PAÍS," said Antonio Caño, editor-in-chief of El País . “We want to be the forum and meeting point for culture in Spanish and Portuguese, a platform for debate with an international perspective, and a generator of premium content."

All interviews, reviews, reports, columns, articles, illustrations and photographs will be available on the new website: babelia.com, which can be accessed via any internet connection as well as via links on the El País cover page and its culture section. The new space will be enriched with audio and video of authors discussing or reading parts of their works; downloads featuring the first chapters of books; chapters or unpublished material by writers and artists; photographic reports; and access to services and online shopping. Berna González Harbour will be at the helm of Babelia as it embarks on this new phase..

Babelia is also set to expand its activity on social networks through the accounts babeliaelpais, on Facebook, and @babelia_elpais on Twitter. Readers can share and comment on content and interact with authors online. Right now, and in keeping with its commitment to participation, readers can also find a web survey which lets them tell Babelia exactly want they want to see in the future.

 The incorporation of all Babelia content on elpais.com is part of nespaper’s clear digital commitment and vocation to news, culture and leadership in the Spanish language .

 The contents of Babelia are thus being made available to the Spanish-speaking readers worldwide. The newspaper El Pais enjoys a global lead  among the Spanish-language press, with over 12 million unique users per month. 26 % of these access the web from the Americas, especially Mexico, the U.S. and Argentina. They will now also have access to babelia.com