BookBenches to transform the traditional notion of books.

National Literacy Trust and Wild in Art have launched a novel public art project to promote reading. The pages of well-known literacy works associated with London will form into illustrative benches and be placed across sites in the city from July 2014. 

Visit England, the national tourist board, is supporting the initiative, which is anticipated to become a tourist attraction.

The project welcomes local and national businesses to choose a tale-themed bookbench, including the likes of Peter Pan to Frankenstein, and endorse. The written agenda is to encourage funding for the National Literacy Trust, which aims to deal with low literacy levels in UK communities.

Businesses have already begun sponsoring the scheme, KPMG partner Mona Bitar says: “KPMG is delighted to be supporting the National Literacy Trust’s Books about Town project. The BookBenches programme is a great way to bring literacy to life across London and to raise awareness around the fantastic work of the National Literacy Trust, who is one of KPMG’s national charity partners. We are looking forward to seeing the initial designs for our bench very soon”

British children’s novelist, Michael Rosen says: “I love the idea of sitting on giant books. With the Bear Hunt big BookBench, I suppose you can say that you can't go through it, but you can go over it, you can go under it or better still you can sit on it!”