Virtual reality and books: Nikola Kunzová is changing the way we read
What if you could literally step into the story while reading a book? This is the question explored by Nikola Kunzová, a current doctoral student of Informatics at the Faculty of Informatics, Masaryk University. The result of her research is Bookwander – a project that connects literature with virtual reality and offers an entirely new perspective on what it means to be a reader in the digital age.
Bookwander is neither a game nor a film – it is a space where text becomes an integral part of the environment, allowing readers to immerse themselves directly in the story. For her master’s thesis on this topic, Nikola received the Dean’s Award from the Faculty of Informatics at MU, and her work has garnered attention from the international academic community. She received the Best Student Paper Award at the ICIDS 2023 conference in Japan and later presented her project at prestigious events, including Laval Virtual in France and ARS Electronica 2024 in Austria.
“The biggest shock for me was realizing that I was transporting furniture from our living room, 1,500 kilometers to France, just to create a reading corner for the presentation of VR reading at an international festival. But it was worth it! It was amazing to watch people sit down in the chair, put on the headset, and dive into the story,” Nikola recalls with a smile.
The full interview with her offers not only technical and design insights but also a deeper reflection on what it truly means to read in the digital era. How can we preserve the intimacy and depth of reading in a world of screens and virtual environments? And how should a design look that supports the reader’s experience without limiting imagination?
“When reading, a person uses text as a source of narrative that they shape and interpret in their mind, often influenced by personal experiences and emotions. In Bookwander, I experiment with how VR design can be created to support the reader while not restricting their imagination,” Nikola explains.
The interview with Nikola Kunzová is an inspiration for anyone interested in connecting technology, art, and personal experience. Her research project Bookwander shows that even in informatics, there is room for creativity, intuition, and imagination – and that technology can deepen, rather than diminish, our sense of wonder.
We invite you to read the full interview .
Author: Radka Grace, Office for External Relations and Partnerships at FI MU
Photo: Nikola Kunzová ’s archive
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