Illustrated BookBenches project
Illustrated BookBenches project
Illustrated BookBenches project has been recently launched in London. The creative project presented by 50 benches in the form of open books with colorful illustrations can be seen throughout the city. Many artists were drawn specifically to decorate the giant “pages” of iconic books. Benches will be exhibited in the British capital until the 15th of September. The project Books about Town was initiated by the National Literacy Trust. All benches (called BookBenches), presented in the project, illustrate the works that are somehow connected with London: main characters, origin, or author. According to the participants of the event – cartoonist Ralph Steadman (illustrator of “Alice in Wonderland”), and artist and writer Cressida Cowell (creator of the book series “How to Train Your Dragon”), such art objects should open to the general public the joy of reading
Shakespeare’s London
How could London’s literary heritage do without a Shakespeare bench? No matter what your favorite play is, this bench will draw you into Shakespeare’s amazing world, from the magic of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and the mayhem of Love’s Labor’s Lost, to the heart-wrenching romance of Romeo and Juliet and the hilarious comedy of Much Ado About Nothing. Anyone can dig out favorite Shakespeare quotes and celebrate our greatest playwright.
Alex Rider Storm-breaker
The Alex Rider series by Anthony Horowitz follows the adventures of teenage spy Alex Rider, who is recruited by the British secret service after discovering his uncle’s assassination.
Always try to be a little kinder than necessary. James Matthew Barrie
Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary. Author: J.M. Barrie. Having jumped out of J.M. Barrie’s 1902 novel for adults, The Little White Bird, Peter Pan became one of the best-loved characters in fiction. His mischievous adventures told through Barrie’s irresistible narrative have captured the imagination of children and adults alike for generations..
Illustrated BookBenches project. Peter Pan. Author: J.M. Barrie
The magical Peter Pan comes to the night nursery of the Darling children, Wendy, John and Michael. He teaches them to fly, then takes them through the sky to Never Never Land, where they find wolves, mermaids and pirates
Illustrated BookBenches project. Around the world in eighty days. Jules Verne
Around the World in Eighty Days is a classic adventure novel by the French writer Jules Verne, published in 1873. In the story, Phileas Fogg of London and his newly employed French valet Passepartout attempt to circumnavigate the world in 80 days on a wager set by his friends at the Reform Club in Pall Mall.
Illustrated BookBenches project. Alice in Wonderland. Lewis Carroll
Everyone knows the story of how Alice fell down a rabbit hole and discovered a strange world of wonder and adventure, where she encountered mad tea parties, cats that disappeared at will and the ill-tempered Queen of Hearts. The British classic written by Lewis Carroll nearly 150 years ago.
Illustrated BookBenches project. Bridget Jones’s Diary. Helen Fielding.
When Helen Fielding first wrote Bridget Jones’s Diary, charting the life of a 30-something singleton in London in the 1990s, she introduced readers to one of the most beloved characters in modern literature. The book was published in 40 countries, sold more than 15 million copies worldwide.
From the Gruffalo to Scarecrows: The World of Axel Scheffler and Julia Donaldson
Artist Axel Scheffler and writer Julia Donaldson first teamed up in 1993, and since then they have published 12 books, including The Gruffalo (1999). This stunning BookBench, created by Axel Scheffler, celebrates their most lovable characters.
Illustrated BookBenches project. Great Expectations. Charles Dickens
Great Expectations is a coming-of-age novel, and it is a classic work of Victorian literature. It depicts the growth and personal development of an orphan named Pip. The novel was first published in serial form in Dickens’ weekly periodical All the Year Round, from 1 December 1860.
How to Train Your Dragon. Cressida Cowell
Read the books that inspired the How to Train Your Dragon films! Hiccup Horrendous Haddock III was an awesome sword-fighter, a dragon-whisperer and the greatest Viking Hero who ever lived.
Illustrated BookBenches project. James Bond. Ian Fleming
The only one of our benches with a licence to kill, the James Bond BookBench is proudly sponsored by Ian Fleming Publications. The company keep the Bond name alive, ensuring the mystery and glamour ripples through to more generations with new stories for different ages.
Illustrated BookBenches project. Mary Poppins. Pamela Travers
When their new nanny, Mary Poppins, arrives on a gust of the East Wind, greets their mother, and slides up the banister, Jane and Michael’s lives are turned magically upside down.
Illustrated BookBenches project. Samuel Pepys’ Diary. Author: Samuel Pepys
Samuel Pepys (1633-1703) was an English naval administrator and Member of Parliament who is now most famous for the diary he kept for a decade while still a relatively young man. The detailed private diary Pepys kept from 1660 until 1669 was first published in the 19th century
Illustrated BookBenches project. The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe. Clive Staples Lewis
The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe is C.S. Lewis’ most famous and widely read novel. It tells the story of four children who are evacuated from London to a big house in the English countryside during World War II.
literacytrust.org.uk
