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Madrid installs 26 book-shaped benches to encourage reading until June 2026
The streets of Madrid take on a new rhythm with the return of the book-benches. A total of 26 giant structures, inspired by novel covers, invite locals and visitors to sit down and rediscover reading right in the heart of the city.
The initiative, under the slogan “Your next book is within reach of your hand”, seeks to bring literature closer to everyday life. Each bench incorporates a QR code that connects to the Todo está en Madrid platform, where literary routes can be consulted and nearby bookshops located.
The benches are spread across some of the city’s busiest points: Plaza de la Independencia, Callao, Gran Vía and Plaza de Colón, among others. The installation will be available until 14 June 2026.
Among the titles represented are works by Juan Gómez-Jurado, Elisabet Benavent and Freida McFadden, alongside classics such as Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. The selection combines contemporary authors with universal references.
Beyond the visual aspect, the proposal seeks to change habits. In a city marked by haste, these benches invite people to pause, disconnect and immerse themselves in a story, integrating reading into the everyday landscape.
The action is establishing itself as one of Madrid’s most recognisable cultural initiatives of the spring. Public spaces turned into meeting points where literature ceases to exist only in bookshops and becomes part of the urban route.