BookBench Auction, Southbank Centre

It's your last chance to see London's famous BookBenches, dotted around the city, before they're auctioned off on 7 October, writes Arjun Sajip

How many BookBenches have you visited? There’s plenty of great free art in London, but precious little of it is as accessible and popular as the fifty Books About Town. Dotted around London are dozens of benches shaped like books, adorned with beautifully rendered illustrations of the themes or aesthetic of beloved books – most of them British, but some, like the gorgeously bright Dr Seuss bench, inspired by American or Continental literature.

There are numerous picturesque trails you can follow to find these benches. They won’t be around to lounge on or sit on for long, though. The benches will be taken off display around the city on 16 September, pending an auction on 7 October at the Southbank Centre. If you can’t attend the auction, click here to register to watch lots, bid online, and place automatic maximum bids.

Whether you’ve sat on them, parsed their text appreciatively, or just about let them register in your consciousness, these BookBenches have been a charming addition to the city. Proceeds from their auctioning will go to the National Literary Trust, a charity set up to raise the literacy levels of disadvantaged children across the UK.

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