One of the public art projects that I still remember are the Book benches of 2014 which was a mesmerizing marriage of literature, art, and public space. In a summer where stories spilled into the streets and books took the shape of benches, London became a living library—inviting everyone to pause, perch, and fall back in love with the written word. As we went around trying to locate these book benches, we felt as if we were walking among the pages. There was with every story, a seat… and nearly every tourist we came across that year seemed excited about this project.

Love letters to storytelling

The benches had all the details about the project and for those who have missed this artsy blitz, it was ‘Wild in Art’ collaborating with the National Literacy Trust. Around fifty benches across the city were transformed into vibrant sculptures shaped like open books, each lovingly decorated to celebrate a beloved piece of literature. From Peter Pan to 1984, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe to Bridget Jones’s Diary, these benches became more than public furniture – they were love letters to storytelling.

When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London

Each bench became a storytelling portal, inviting passersby to sit, reflect, and connect with literature in the most unexpected places. They didn’t just decorate the city—they breathed life into it, reminding everyone that stories are the soul of our culture. Thus, the idea was more than artistic whimsy. We are sure these benches did manage to reignite the connection between books and people. These real world bookmarks must have turned non-readers into readers… we saw families gathered around these benches. Children climbed on illustrations. We sat on quite a few of them. I am sure there must be books or illustrations that must have attracted even the most ardent hater of books!

A few of the books and authors featured in this project included 1984 by George Orwell, Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz, Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne, Being a Big Kid – Peter Pan by J.M. Barrie, Brick Lane by Monica Ali, Bridget Jones’s Diary by Helen Fielding, Clarice Bean by Lauren Child, Dr. Seuss by Dr. Seuss, Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby, From the Gruffalo to Scarecrows by Julia Donaldson & Axel Scheffler, Frozen in Time by Captain Scott, Great Expectations, by Charles Dickens, Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly by Agatha Christie, How to Train Your Dragon by Cressida Cowell, Jacqueline Wilson by Jacqueline Wilson, James Bond Stories by Ian Fleming, Jeeves and Wooster Stories by P.G. Wodehouse, Katie in London by James Mayhew, Mary Poppins by P.L. Travers, Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, Noughts and Crosses by Malorie Blackman, Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen, Rest Your Stalks by John Wyndham, Samuel Johnson’s Wild World by Dr. Samuel Johnson, Samuel Pepys’ Diary by Samuel Pepys, Shakespeare’s London by William Shakespeare, Sherlock Holmes Stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham, The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams, The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis, The Railway Children by E. Nesbit, The Time Machine by H.G. Wells, The Wind in the Willows by Kenneth Grahame, Through the Looking Glass by Lewis Carroll, War Horse by Michael Morpurgo.

When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London

A quiet revolution

Well, a revolution not just in literacy but also art. These benches brought together some known artists like Ralph Steadman, Axel Scheffler, and Cressida Cowell who transformed public spaces into open invitations to sit, reflect, and reconnect with cherished tales.

Did this revolution increase sales of books? I have not been able to access any statistics from the internet as I am now writing about these benches more than a decade after they were displayed. But I do remember tabloids writing about how pleased the local bookstore owners were. I am sure there must have been a spike in book sales, particularly of the titles that were featured on the benches. Libraries must have had an increase in checkouts for the featured titles or authors. Social media must have been set ablaze by selfies and updates. Such initiatives are always a boon for the marketeer… and in this case it was both art and literature coming together.

The reports on sales may not be available but the information that I could access is that at the end of the summer, the benches were auctioned off, raising over £250,000 for the National Literacy Trust to fund literacy programs across the UK. That money helped children in disadvantaged areas get access to books, giving them the chance to write their own stories. For us from India, the concept sparkled and the storyteller within me was happy. These benches weren’t just art; they were catalysts for conversation, nostalgia, and discovery.
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Arvind Passey
Uploaded on 26 April 2025
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When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London
When books became benches in London

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