EDMONTON AIRPORT MACHINE TO DISPENSE SHORT STORIES

Edmonton International Airport has installed a Short Story Dispenser in its main terminal so that weary travellers can break up their wait with a free read. Airport spokeswoman Traci Bednard says travellers push a button on the dispenser and a paper unfurls with a one-, three- or five-minute story. Bednard said the stories are from local Edmonton authors, as well as writers from countries or cities that are a non-stop flight away from the Alberta capital. The Short Story Dispenser is made by France-based Short Edition and the only other airport to have one is in Lyon, France, Bednard said. Short Edition says authors have a contract with the company so their work is protected and they get royalties every time their work is accessed in a dispenser.