In this haven, a Bookworm chews paper into pulp, devouring the world’s secrets page by page. He is full of creations and chronicles, of ink that turns to magic in his stomach. He nestles in the hole he has made, big enough for him to curl up in and sleep; dreaming of dictionaries, weaving wonders from words, and I leave him be, browsing the menu of literature for myself. It is best to keep your distance when inspiration (and the hunger for knowledge) strikes.
II. I said to the Bookshelf; Do you tire of standing? holding up all these fair books on the landing? Said the Bookshelf to me; Good fellow, don’t worry,
it isn’t as though I’m in much of a hurry.
Leafing through the armoury, you slip a bookmark between spearheaded awls to combat the enemy: boredom. Now is the time for exploration. Lather paste on each leather-bound tome – they are bricks for building this fortification. If there are any left, I will patch up my own cracks.
The gilded covers are my solace.
Libraries are places of alchemy; spines of books turned into plaques by liquid gold.
With a curative spoonful, we surrender to the sorcery of stories and supernovas.
This river of ink and blood; Let it become you.
Breathe in the library’s liberty,
Shelf AS-D and Those Yet to be Classified is a piece inspired by the Alan Sillitoe collection in Bromley House Library. It was heavily inspired by the range of items, the stanzas being based on Aesop’s Fables, Edward Lear’s Nonsense Songs, typewritten military reports, the Brothers Grimm Fairy Tales, and a selection of marginalia respectively. With an overarching theme of reading as a form of magic, I wanted to highlight the importance of libraries and the imagination and creativity that comes with a love of reading.
I want to thank Claire Bradnam, Leanne Moden, and everybody at Bromley House Library for making this happen.
