It's time to turn another leaf, pick up a book
A woman reads book beside an art installation made of books.
Books are placed in the public areas for people to read.
For Shanghai, "book" is keyword for August as the city’s annual Book Fair kicks off.
Ahead of this year’s book extravaganza which will run from August 14 through 20, a variety of reading activities are being held as a warm-up.
In the Jing’an Kerry Center, art installations featuring classic and popular novels have been put up to help people get immersed in the plots and inspire them to think about their lives.
On the first floor, a giant and rusty art installation was joined with a traditional desk to pay respect to renowned American writer E. B. White, whose novels “Stuart Little” and “Charlotte's Web” have been adapted to films.
The installation features elements of spiders and wings, and it stretches up to the third floor, with layers of green plastic boards which symbolize book pages. Artist Wang Yi hopes people can feel the writer’s imagination and feeling.
The installation on the second floor was designed based on “Norwegian Wood,” a 1987 novel by Japanese author Haruki Murakami. It is a nostalgic story of loss and burgeoning sexuality, and it is very popular among Chinese readers.
It allows people to put up headphones to hear the classic plots of the novel. Some black human statues, with their heads being replaced by durian, Ferris wheels and merry-go-rounds, are placed alongside to deliver messages related to the novel.
Chairs and tables are put in the public spaces on the third floor, allowing people to take a rest and pick up a book to read.
The Shanghai Translation Publishing House said it will place about 300 books for people to read for free.
Through August 20, 33 activities will be held in the mall, including lectures by renowned writers and poetry readings.
