Newspaper designer Mario Garcia, who is about to launch his first tablet book, ‘Storytelling in the age of the tablet’, will share insights with delegates to WAN-Ifra’s 19th World Editors Forum and 64th World Newspaper Congress.

He is set to open the editors’ storytelling session in Kiev on September 4, and has 15 ‘top tips’ for editors adding tablet editions to their bouquet.

“If you are taking your paper to tablet, the question is where do you start,” he says. “I have been in this business for 40 years, and while I am passionate about the iPad, this is not about a love affair with the tablet. It is important that the story comes first.”

He promises personal lessons on taking your paper to tablet that cover the story, the design, advertising and the economics. Garcia, who has worked with over 600 newspapers, is consistently rated as one of the top speakers at the WAN-Ifra events.

Garcia will join top storytellers Jeffrey Gettleman, the Pulitzer Prize winning ‘New York Times’ writer, and Polish designer and TED luminary Jacek Utko for a vibrant session on two-speed storytelling and how to get your message across whatever the platform.

Garcia says “these are the best of times to be a storyteller, since we can tell stories across platforms, emphasising the uniqueness of each”.

His work and teaching is based on a personal philosophy he calls WED – combining writing, editing and design as basic principles of effective communication of ideas.

Editors attending the forum will also have access to an editors’ masterclass on digital skills for the newsroom.

Details from the Kiev website.