Murals celebrate city's book-lovers and bookshops

Bethan Woollvin is one of two artists who have created murals celebrating Bookshop Day in Sheffield

Murals have been painted across Sheffield as part of celebrations to mark Bookshop Day.

The event is organised by the Booksellers Association to promote stores across the UK and Ireland, and Sheffield has been chosen as one of this year's "spotlight cities" for the annual event.

Sheffield's murals have been designed and painted by children's book illustrator Bethan Woollvin and designer and animator Emily Redfern.

Ms Woollvin, 31, said many people had stopped to speak to her while she recently painted a literary-themed mural at High Court in Sheffield: "Lots of people have been really positive about it and sharing their experience with art or reading."

"I've had lots of people saying, 'oh, I've not picked up a book in ages', sharing their favourite stories," she explained.

"So, I'm hoping the mural encourages people to go and pick up a book and do a bit of reading."

Emily Redfern painted the mural Arundel Street on Wednesday

Ms Woollvin explained that her mural was inspired by vintage illustrations as well as Disney background artist Mary Blair.

"I wanted to capture those little moments that are really fun about being in a bookshop - whether it's sitting and reading, buying your favourite book or sitting there with a little coffee: all my favourite moments of going to a bookshop.

"I work mostly as a children's book illustrator, so I get to work on all sorts of fun projects and I feel sometimes I've got the best job ever. Sometimes I wake up and my job is to illustrate a dinosaur or a rocket."

Meanwhile, Ms Redfern, 29, who has designed a mural on Arundel Street showing an open book filled with cats and shelves, said: "It's really nice to champion Sheffield with this theme and make a buzz about it, so I was really excited," she said.

"I'm generally much more digital nowadays and being animation-based it's quite unusual in my day-to-day to do something like this, so it is a nice change to be out and about."

Ms Redfern, who has also designed a bookmark available at stores in Sheffield for Bookshop Day, said she had met some "lovely people".

"We had someone from a publisher that is visiting who was excited to see some buzz around Bookshop Day happening in Sheffield," she said.

Emily Woollvin's design is inspired by 1960s prints

The murals will be on display for two weeks from 11 October, and afterwards they will be replaced with advertising boards once more.

Ms Woollvin said that while she wished she could take her work away, she also liked the ephemeral nature of murals.

"Unfortunately, because it's on a billboard it's painted on paper, so I think it would be far too thin to peel off. But it'll be up for two weeks, so it's kind of like a temporary installation."

Meanwhile, Ms Redfern said: "I don't think I've got the room in my house to keep it, so it would have to go in the garden on the side of the house or down the garden wall or something.

"I quite like the impermanence of it. It's just a piece passing in time - hopefully going to be enjoyed by lots of people on Bookshop Day."

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