Sherlock Holmes, Bridget Jones and James Bond inspire London benches
Literary classics including Paddington Bear, Peter Pan, Dr Seuss, Jacqueline Wilson and Mary Poppins also feature on the book-inspired seats across London
Fifty literary classics have been transformed into London benches by the National Literacy Trust and Wild In Art to celebrate reading. Created by artists and writers, the selection of seats are designed to resemble open books and commemorate the likes of Paddington Bear, Peter Pan and Sherlock Holmes (see above).
Books about Town was launched yesterday with the various benches placed around London with readers encouraged to locate all fifty situated around Greenwich, Bloomsbury, the Riverside and the City.
Iconic characters given the "bench treatment" include James Bond, Bridget Jones, Mary Poppins, Hercule Poirot, Alex Rider and Mrs Dalloway. The scheme also recognises the beloved works of Jacqueline Wilson, Dr Seuss, William Shakespeare and Charles Dickens.
Each of the 50 benches will remain on the streets of London until mid-September before they're auctioned at London's Southbank Centre on 7 October to raise funds for the National Literacy Trust to tackle illiteracy in deprived areas of the UK.
Author-illustrator of How To Train Your Dragon, Cressida Cowell, said, "I am so excited to have designed a How to Train Your Dragon BookBench and to be part of the National Literacy Trust’s Books about Town campaign to celebrate the wealth of writing and illustrating talent in this country. I am hoping that Books about Town will remind Londoners on the streets of the joy of reading books."
In addition to locating the fifty BookBenches, Sherlock Holmes fans can take part in a Guiness World Record attempt for the most number of people dressed as Sherlock by gathering around the character's seat on 19 July at 1pm. Apply here for tickets to the event.
To see the full selection of BookBenches, visit the Books About Town website.
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