Fancy sitting on a book? Yes, you read correctly: not with, but – although now you can try both. From today, you can do it in 50 different locations around London, thanks to book-shaped benches, which have been installed all over the city by the National Literacy Trust to celebrate London’s literary heritage and to encourage reading.
The 50 benches are dedicated to books, characters and authors: from Sherlock Holmes, James Bond and Hercules Poirot to Peter Pan, The Gruffalo and Paddington Bear. Each bench has been designed an artist. Ralph Steadman, who illustrated Lewis Carroll’s children’s classic Through the Looking Glass in 1973 – has reproduced some of the original drawings on that bench. Here he is at work:
The project will also include lots of events, such as book giveaways, a performance by the cast of the 1984 stage production, a meerkat flashmob or an attempt to break the Guinness World Record for the most number of people dressed as Sherlock Holmes. Check their website for the full programme and details.
The books have now all been put in place – here’s proof of one of them, (still) all alone over in the Thames:
Share your pictures, videos and stories now by clicking on one of the blue “contribute” buttons or, if you’re out and about, you can use the GuardianWitness app on your smartphone – or search in the Guardian app for GuardianWitness assignments. We’ll include the best submissions in a gallery on the Guardian site.
