Blogging Woolf

The National Literacy Trust book bench illustrating Mrs. Dalloway has been installed in Gordon Square, Bloomsbury for eight weeks as part of the Books About Town art trail.

The trail features fifty benches shaped as open books and decorated by professional illustrators and local artists. The project provides an opportunity for the public to explore London’s literary connections, while enjoying art from some of the country’s top artists and celebrating the fun of reading, according to the project website.

Fiona Osborne of One Red Shoe painted the Dalloway bench. It features Clarissa on the front and Septimus Warren Smith on the back, and it is located on the Bloomsbury Trail.

“I painted the Mrs. Dalloway bench as well as the Railway Children. It was a privilege to illustrate and will hopefully raise a good amount for the Literacy Trust when they hold the auction in eight weeks time,” said Osborne in an email to Blogging Woolf. She also offered to share photos of her work on the bench as it progressed.

The project was launched July 2, and the benches will be auctioned on Oct. 7, with the proceeds going to the National Literacy Trust.

The Guardian is asking book lovers to be part of a poll to select the book that will be depicted on the fifty-first bench. It is also requesting reader submissions of book bench photos.