1- Sit here at your own risk
A Brief History of Time, published in 1988, was a landmark volume in science writing and received worldwide acclaim and popularity. The original edition was on the cutting edge of what was then known about the origins and nature of the universe. But the ensuing years have seen extraordinary advances in the technology of observing both the micro- and the macrocosmic world – observations that have confirmed many of Hawking's theoretical predictions. A Brief History of Time has transformed our view of the universe and is represented on this stunning BookBench.
Paraig O'Driscoll Paraig O’Driscoll was born in Ireland and has lived in Leigh On Sea for several years. He is an artist, photographer and secondary school teacher with a keen interest in both science and the arts. He created a BookBench inspired by A Brief History of Time by Stephen Hawking. Paraig's inspiration: “Viewers, I hope that you enjoy this visual tribute to Stephen Hawking's A Brief History of Time as much as I loved creating it. Just don't get too close to the black hole... the gravitational force is very strong!”
2- Brick Lane
Brick Lane, named after a street at the heart of London’s Bangladeshi community, follows the life of Nazneen, a Bangladeshi woman who moves to London at the age of 18, to marry an older man, Chanu. At first her English consists only of “sorry" and “thank you”. The novel explores her life in Tower Hamlets, as well as the character of Chanu, and their larger ethnic community. With clear links to London, Brick Lane is a perfect fit for Books about Town.
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.
3- Bridget Jones's Diary
When Helen Fielding first wrote Bridget Jones's Diary, charting the life of a 30something 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, and spawned a best-selling sequel, Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason. Both books were turned into major blockbuster films starring RenĂŠe Zellweger, Hugh Grant and Colin Firth. The third novel, Mad About The Boy, published last year, reunited fans with an older if not wiser Bridget Jones. We hope you enjoy this Bridget-inspired BookBench.
Paula Bressel Paula Bressel is a young artist with a background in fine art who moved to London from Spain to study fashion illustration. She enjoys the beauty of art in any form as a way of communication. She has created a BookBench inspired by Bridget Jones's Diary by Helen Fielding.
4- Jacqueline Wilson
Jacqueline Wilson is one of the nation’s favourite authors, and her books are loved and cherished by young readers in the UK and all over the world. She has sold millions of books and in the UK alone the total now stands at over 35 million. She is especially well known for her Tracy Beaker series, and for covering topics such as adoption and foster care. In 2002 Jacqueline was awarded the OBE for services to literacy in schools and from 2005 to 2007 she was the Children’s Laureate. In 2008 she became Dame Jacqueline Wilson. Jacqueline Wilson had to be included in Books about Town, as her books have been inspiring young people to read for pleasure for decades. Her loveable characters come together on a wonderful BookBench this summer – make sure to stop by!
Nick Sharratt (original illustrations) Created by Jane Headford Nick Sharratt has illustrated almost 250 books, many of them written by Jacqueline Wilson. He has also written 40 of his own books. He was the official illustrator for World Book Day 2006 and has a fellowship from the Hereford College of Art. Jane Headford used Nick’s illustrations to paint a BookBench depicting Jacqueline Wilson’s most famous characters.Jane Headford trained as a scenic artist in London, and paints sets, animatronics and murals for theatre, film and museums. She is now art director at Dartura in the Pennine town of Holmfirth and has created four BookBenches for Books about Town.
5- Dickens in Liverpool
Charles Dickens made an extraordinary contribution to our literary heritage. With titles such as Great Expectations and A Tale of Two Cities, Dickens is regarded as the greatest novelist of the Victorian period. Pupils at Hillside High School in Bootle, Liverpool decided to let this great author be the inspiration behind their very own BookBench. Titled Dickens in Liverpool, this is the only BookBench on the trail which has been painted in a school. We hope it inspires other young people to discover reading for pleasure!
Hillside School The students of Hillside High School in Bootle, Liverpool have painted a BookBench inspired by Charles Dickens, naming the bench Charles Dickens in Liverpool. This is the only BookBench on the trail that has been painted in a school, and we hope it inspires many other young people to read for pleasure.
6- Fever Pitch
Fever Pitch is Nick Hornby's award-winning football classic that has sold over a million copies in the UK alone. Published in 1992, Hornby's debut novel is an autobiography of his life as an Arsenal fan. For many people watching football is mere entertainment, to some it's more like a ritual; but to others, its highs and lows provide a narrative to life itself. For Nick Hornby, his devotion to the game has provided one of the few constants in a life where the meaningful things - like growing up, leaving home and forming relationships, both parental and romantic - have rarely been as simple or as uncomplicated as his love for Arsenal. Fever Pitch is a must-see for football fans – especially Arsenal supporters! Come down and help us celebrate football fiction and its place in our literary heritage.
Sophie Green Sophie Green is the artist behind the BookBench inspired by Fever Pitch by Nick Hornby.
7- Katie in London
Written and illustrated by James Mayhew, Katie's adventures in this book will capture your imagination as Katie and her brother Jack are shown the sights of London by a stone lion who comes alive and befriends them. The lion takes them on a wonderful tour of the city taking in such sights as The Tower of London, Buckingham Palace and the London Eye! It's a daytrip to London that Katie and Jack will never forget! Featuring many of the key sights of Britain's capital, this storybook has become a bestselling introduction to London, and a perfect story for children visiting the city for the first time. James’s Katie picture book series has been making art an adventure for children worldwide for 25 years. His first book, Katie's Picture Show, was published in 1989.
James Mayhew James Mayhew is the creator of the much-loved Ella Bella Ballerina and Katie series, and has kindly created a BookBench based on his own Katie in London. James' inspiration: “This bench celebrates 25 years of Katie books and her discoveries in this splendid city. I wanted to make the BookBench fun for children, and I hope they'll sit for a while, look at Katie's map of London and then follow in her footsteps on their own adventure!”
8- The Laura Marlin Mysteries
When orphaned Laura Marlin moves from a children's home to live with her uncle in Cornwall, she longs for a life of excitement just like the characters in her favourite detective novels. A real-life adventure is on hand as she is deposited at her uncle's spooky house . . . Why does her uncle, Calvin Redfern, forbid her to go to Dead Man's Cove? What's the truth about Tariq, the silent Indian boy who lives with the flamboyant Mukthars? Who is J? Who has left the message in a bottle for Laura to discover? Mysteries abound and who better to solve them than Laura Marlin, ace detective. Laura is in good company with fellow detectives Sherlock and Poirot on the trail, though she is by far the youngest sleuth around! Make sure to visit this BookBench and celebrate all the wonderful crime fiction we have represented in Books about Town.
David Dean (original illustrations) Created by Jane Headford David Dean is an illustrator. He has illustrated many titles, including four of the Laura Marlin series by Lauren St John. Jane Headford used his illustrations to bring this series to life on a BookBench.Jane Headford trained as a scenic artist in London, and paints sets, animatronics and murals for theatre, film and museums. She is now art director at Dartura in the Pennine town of Holmfirth and has created four BookBenches for Books about Town.
9- Mary Poppins
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. Mary takes the children on the most extraordinary outings: to a fun fair inside a pavement picture; to visit Uncle Andrew who floats up to the ceiling when he laughs; and on a spectacular trip to see the Man-in-the-Moon! With her strict but fair, nononsense attitude, combined with amazing magical powers, things are never straightforward with Mary Poppins! But she has only promised to stay until the wind changes… The East Wind has kindly brought Mary Poppins back to London! Make sure you visit the BookBench before the wind changes…
Darel Seow Darel Seow is a storyteller who illustrates the tales of the natural world through his unique brand of wry wit. He is an avid librocubicularist and reads too many books meant for children in a bid to tell the best stories to everyone he meets. Darel's thoughts on his BookBench: “It's an absolute delight and honour to visit the tale of everyone's favourite nanny and have my work displayed on the streets of London. Every day is an adventure waiting to happen and you are invited to share in Jane and Michael's magical first encounter with Mary Poppins!”
10- Noughts and Crosses
The Noughts and Crosses series is set in a fictional, racist dystopia. Sephy is a Cross – a member of the dark-skinned ruling class. Callum is a nought – a ‘colourless’ member of the underclass who were once slaves to the Crosses. The two have been friends since early childhood. But that’s as far as it can go, until the first steps are taken towards more social equality and a limited number of Noughts are allowed into Cross schools… Against a background of prejudice and distrust, intensely highlighted by violent terrorist activity by Noughts, a romance builds between Sephy and Callum – a romance that is to lead both of them into terrible danger… This critically acclaimed series of young adult novels by Children’s Laureate Malorie Blackman inspires a stunning BookBench this summer.
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.
11- Peter Pan
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 Neverland, where they find wolves, mermaids and pirates. The leader of the pirates is the sinister Captain Hook. His hand was bitten off by a crocodile, who, as Captain Hook explains “liked me arm so much that he has followed me ever since, licking his lips for the rest of me”. After lots of adventures, the story reaches its exciting climax as Peter, Wendy and the children do battle with Captain Hook and his band. Peter Pan comes back to London this summer on a unique BookBench – make sure you see it before he flies back to Neverland!
Laura Elizabeth Bolton Laura Elizabeth Bolton created a stunning Peter Pan BookBench for KPMG, which gave her another opportunity to interpret the world from another perspective. Laura's inspiration: “London is a city that has inspired a thousand tales to take us to (those) magical places beyond the unknown.”
12 - Alex Rider
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. His missions take him around the world, fighting criminal organisations and assassins in a bid to keep the world safe. This bench is inspired by the graphic novel version of the first book in the Alex Rider series. Anthony Horowitz is a prolific English novelist and screenwriter specialising in mystery and suspense. Alex Rider is one of his most popular series of children's titles, along with The Diamond Brothers and The Power of Five series.
Kanako and Yuzuru (original illustrations) Created by Mike Snowdon Mike Snowdon is a graphic artist based in Liverpool, UK. His work ranges from handmade craft to high-end digital through the mediums of illustration, design and animation. Mike has created a BookBench inspired by Alex Rider by Anthony Horowitz, with original illustrations by Kanako and Yuzuru (orginal illustrations). See the bench...
13- Usborne's That's not my... Bench
That’s not my meerkat… is part of the bestselling That's not my... series, which also includes That’s not my piglet… and That’s not my panda…. Meerkats have become one of the most popular furry animals among young children and this book introduces a mob of the cute and curious creatures, with smooth noses and tufty tails thanks to the touchy-feely textures. This summer the award-winning series comes to life on a BookBench, One of the cutest benches on the trail, this will be a favourite with young children.
Rachel Wells (original illustrations) Jenny Hilborne (design) Painted by Sarah Jane Richards Usborne's That’s Not My BookBench was designed by Jenny Hilborne at Usborne Publishing based on illustrations by Rachel Wells. It was painted by Sarah Jane Richards, a freelance artist whose work includes art commissions for the public and private sectors. An exhibiting artist with a Fine Art degree in painting, her work also encompasses sculpture, design, special events, workshops and teaching.
14- The Wind in the Willows
The beloved children’s classic The Wind in the Willows has captivated audiences since the book was first published in 1908. Now it’s time to relive the adventures of Toad, Ratty, Badger and Mole in the idyllic English countryside. Take your place on this beautiful bench and dream yourself away from the hustle and bustle of London.
Mik Richardson Mik Richardson is the artist behind the dreamy The Wind in the Willows BookBench. Mik has completed over 300 murals and held countless graffiti workshops with various schools, youth groups and companies, and has been involved in a number of public art projects such as Go Go Gorillas. Mik's inspiration: “I loved the idea of lazy summer days of a bygone era and The Wind in the Willows was a fitting example of just such a story for the literary trail. I also love to depict a story with pictures and hope it inspires the viewer to want to read the book.”
15- Wisden Cricketers' Almanack
Wisden Cricketers' Almanack (also known as Wisden or colloquially "the Bible of Cricket") is a cricket reference book published annually. It is considered the world's most famous sports reference book. The description "bible of cricket" was first used in the 1930s by Alec Waugh in a review for the London Mercury. In October 2013, an alltime Test World XI was announced to mark the 150th anniversary of Wisden Cricketers' Almanack. Wisden was founded in 1864 by the English cricketer John Wisden (1826–84) as a competitor to Fred Lillywhite's The Guide to Cricketers. Its annual publication has continued uninterrupted to the present day, making it the longest running sports annual in history. As the world’s most famous reference book and the longest running sports annual in history, this BookBench inspired by Wisden Cricketers’ Almanack holds a special place in the Books about Town trail. Make sure to stop by!
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.