1- Nineteen Eighty-Four
The famous dystopian novel from George Orwell is a must-see on the BookBenches trail. One of the most influential books in our time, Orwell made chilling prophecies of a future come and gone. The novel is so well known that many made-up expressions from the book regularly appear in our daily communication, most obviously “Big Brother”. In George Orwell’s Nineteen Eighty-Four, Winston Smith wrestles with oppression in Oceania, a place where the Party scrutinises human actions with ever-watchful Big Brother. Defying a ban on individuality, Winston dares to express his thoughts. These criminal deeds bring Winston into the eye of the opposition, who then must reform the nonconformist. This story is brought to life with a colourful BookBench. Look out for the incredible detail, including quotes and references to the story.
Thomas Dowdeswell Thomas Dowdeswell is a contemporary artist and social commentator and has exhibited across the UK, France and the United States. He selected 1984 by George Orwell because of its rallying cry against the corrupting powers of the mass media, boundless corporate greed, sinister or misguided government policy and the constant threat of war and terror.
2- Around the World in Eighty Days
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. The story was written at a time when technological innovations had opened the possibility of rapid circumnavigation and the prospect fascinated Verne and his readers. The story continues to draw in readers today and inspire new generations to discover reading for pleasure. You can have your own adventure this summer with Books about Town – Around London with Fifty BookBenches! Can you find them all?
Valerie Osment Valerie Osment is a Professional Visual Artist based in Essex whose work has painting and illustration at its core. With a BA Hons in Graphic Design and Illustration, she exploits multiple media and visual art forms to create work in 2D or 3D form. Valerie has created two BookBenches for Books about Town based on Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle and Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.
3- Rest Your Stalks
Science fiction is set to be well represented on the Books about Town trail with the inclusion of the post-apocalyptic novel, The Day of the Triffids. The story of how a new, aggressive species of plant take over after a meteor shower that rendered most of the world blind is a piece of classic science fiction. With London as the backdrop, The Day of the Triffids is a perfect fit for Books about Town.
Oliver Dean Oliver Dean is an illustrator, author and artist from Essex. He works across a wide spectrum of art projects including community groups, commercial and private commissions. He created two BookBenches for Books about Town, based on science fiction classic The Day of the Triffids by John Wyndham and the young adult Noughts and Crosses series by Malorie Blackman.
4- Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly
Listed as the best-selling novelist of all time, Agatha Christie is the only mystery author to have created two world-famous detectives: Hercule Poirot and Miss Jane Marple.. The book chosen for this very special BookBench is Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly. In 1954, Agatha Christie wrote this novella with the intention of donating the proceeds to her local church, and she filled the story with references to local places, including her own home of Greenway. But, having completed it, she decided instead to expand the story into a full-length novel, Dead Man's Folly, which was published two years later, and donated a Miss Marple story (Greenshaw's Folly) to the church fund instead. Unseen for 60 years, the novel was finally published to the delight of Agatha Christie fans. Follow the clues to track down the Agatha Christie BookBench this summer. And don't forget to use the little grey cells, mon ami! Sponsored by Agatha Christie Estate, this bench will represent the most iconic symbols of British crime fiction.
Tom Adams (artwork) Created by Mandii Pope New Zealand-born artist Mandii Pope paints in a variety of styles from spin art, beach landscapes, cityscapes, kiwiana, abstracts to illustration with many works in private and commercial collections all over the world. Mandii Pope created two BookBenches for the Books about Town trail: Hercule Poirot and the Greenshore Folly by Agatha Christie (design by Tom Adams) and The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe by CS Lewis.
5- James Bond stories
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. Suave and sophisticated, this BookBench will draw you into the world of James Bond, Secret Agent, and lead you to begin your own mission to discover and rediscover the many twists and turns of life with 007. Ian Fleming Publications Ltd looks after the literary James Bond brand. The company's aim is to make Ian Fleming's books available worldwide and keep the brand alive through new stories. www.ianfleming.com James Bond and 007 are registered trademarks of Danjaq LLC, used under licence by Ian Fleming Publications Ltd.
Freyja Dean Freyja Dean is a freelance designer and anatomical model maker for the Royal College of Surgeons. Freyja studied Scientific and Natural History Illustration BA before her MA in Art and Science at St Martins. She is the artist behind our glamorous BookBench based on James Bond by Ian Fleming.
6- Jeeves and Wooster Stories
The Jeeves and Wooster tales are the extraordinary work of author P.G. Wodehouse. The stories feature Wooster and his valet Jeeves, who frequently comes to his aid. Extricating Young Gussie, the first short story to feature Jeeves and Wooster, was published in 1915, nearly 100 years ago. Wodehouse produced 35 short stories and 11 novels which continue to entertain us today, and the stories were adapted for a television series starring Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry. This summer Jeeves and Wooster will be brought to life in a new way with a BookBench depicting the pair.
Gordon Allum Gordon Allum created the Jeeves and Wooster BookBench. Gordon is a multidisciplinary artist/designer/engineer/pyrotechnist and technician and an associate artist with Emergency Exit Arts, a London-based outdoor arts company, who enhance places, enable people and astonish audiences.
7- Mrs Dalloway
Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf was first published in 1925 and details a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a fictional high-society woman living in post-war England. Created from two short stories, Mrs Dalloway in Bond Street and the unfinished The Prime Minister, the novel addresses Clarissa's preparations for a party she will host that evening. With an interior perspective, the story travels forwards and backwards in time and in and out of the characters' minds to construct an image of Clarissa's life and the inter-war social structure. Inspired by another classic piece of literature, the Mrs Dalloway BookBench brings to life a story that was written almost one hundred years ago.
One Red Shoe Fiona and Neil Osborne (One Red Shoe) have been designing and painting murals in and around Cheshire for the last 12 years, working in public spaces, businesses and private homes - producing a portfolio ranging from gable-end murals to complete, artistically themed rooms and creative interiors. They have created two BookBenches for Books about Town: Mrs Dalloway by Virgina Wolf and The Railway Children by E Nesbit. They chose the dramatic train-stopping scene for the latter, with the oncoming train and clouds of steam depicted on the reverse of the BookBench.
8- Always try to be a little kinder than is necessary
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. This year, the boy who wouldn't grow up will be immortalised once again on a BookBench. We imagine we'll have to watch out for him sneaking off his bench at night to collect Wendy from her Bloomsbury home to go looking for one more adventure!
Sian Storey Sian Storey painted the magical Peter Pan BookBench, for Mishcon de Reya. In the artist's words: “The BookBench shows the limitless power of children's imagination and highlights the need to nurture creativity in the young.�
9- Pride and Prejudice
Jane Austen’s Pride and Prejudice, first published in 1813, follows the main character Elizabeth Bennet. She is the second of five sisters, whose mother frets about them finding suitable husbands. When Mr Bingley arrives in the neighbourhood with Mr Darcy, a story of love and heartbreak ensues. Pride and Prejudice has become one of the most popular novels in English literature and receives considerable attention from literary scholars. To date, the book has sold some 20 million copies worldwide. Modern interest in the book has resulted in a number of dramatic adaptations and an abundance of novels. Austen's memorable characters or themes have now inspired a stunning BookBench that celebrates this story that people all over the world continue to love. Take your place on this special BookBench and let it inspire you to read for pleasure.
Charlotte Brown Charlotte Brown is a Manchester-based Artist who works across the North West. Her business, 'Fresh Canvas', leads her to undertake commissions in a variety of settings such as hospitals, schools, museums and prisons. Charlotte has been involved with a large number of national animal parades over the last ten years, and this year she has painted two BookBenches for Books about Town. She has brought the much-loved classic Pride and Prejudice to life as well as the modern novel Brick Lane by Monica Ali.
10- Sherlock Holmes stories
One of the most revered and respected characters in literary history, we could not contemplate Books about Town without the inclusion of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's maverick investigator. "I hear Sherlock everywhere" said Mycroft Holmes in The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter. We will certainly hear a lot about him for 10 weeks this summer. Conan Doyle Estate is owned by the Arthur Conan Doyle family and looks after Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's works and characters, having recently endorsed BBC's Sherlock series, Warner Bros' Sherlock Holmes movies and CBS' Elementary series.
Valerie Osment Valerie Osment is a Professional Visual Artist based in Essex whose work has painting and illustration at its core. With a BA Hons in Graphic Design and Illustration, she exploits multiple media and visual art forms to create work in 2D or 3D form. Valerie has created two BookBenches for Books about Town based on Sherlock Holmes by Arthur Conan Doyle and Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.
11- Earnest
The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People by Oscar Wilde was first performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London. It is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personas in order to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduringly popular play. Whatever your favourite Oscar Wilde title, bring it along with you when you visit this BookBench and celebrate his incredible contribution to our literary heritage.
Trevor Skempton Trevor Skempton is an artist and architect, based in North Wales and Liverpool. He created two BookBenches for Books about Town: The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde and the Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack. His BookBenches feature a distinctive hard-edged drawing style, derived from years of doodling around the edge of technical drawings.
12- The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe
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. The youngest of the siblings, Lucy, finds a magical world called Narnia through a wardrobe in a spare room, encountering talking animals and mythical creatures. But Narnia is more dangerous than they imagine, and the children must defeat the cruel White Witch to save Narnia from eternal winter. C.S. Lewis is one of the UK’s most celebrated authors. He wrote more than 30 books, and the Narnia books have sold over 100 million copies. This classic favourite is kindly supported by Quad Digital. Mandii Pope's inspiration for the BookBench included original illustrations by Pauline Baynes.
Quad Digital Mandii Pope New Zealand-born artist Mandii Pope paints in a variety of styles from spin art, beach landscapes, cityscapes, kiwiana, abstracts to illustration with many works in private and commercial collections all over the world. Mandii Pope created The
Lion the
Witch and The Wardrobe BookBench based on designs by Lucy Charlewood at Quad Digital.