Paper sculptures raise thousands for reading charity

The book sculptures which were sold at auction in Edinburgh for charity, Scottish Book Trust, have raised more than ten times the asking prices. The artworks created for the charity more than ten years ago were sold by Edinburgh auctioneers, Lyon & Turnbull and raised more than £50,000.

Bids came in over the course of the last week and the virtual auction ended on Tuesday night at 6pm following some last minute bids from all over the UK.

The monies will be used in the charity’s work to make books available to all.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, commented: “Scottish Book Trust is thrilled that our rare book sculptures have raised so much for our major fundraising campaign. Thanks to the generous bids, we will be able to provide even more books to those who need them most, though food banks, local authorities and other partners, and deliver more of our life-changing work.  
“We’re incredibly grateful to the artist for allowing us to auction her beautiful sculptures, and to Lyon & Turnbull for their support. We hope the successful bidders enjoy these rare works of art, and we thank them for supporting the work of our charity.”

Cathy Marsden, a specialist in rare books at  Lyon & Turnbull, who has organised the auction, said: “It was a pleasure to be involved in the sale of these stunning paper sculptures. Media across the UK really got behind the sale, covering it extensively, which has helped to raise a tremendous amount of money. 
“The funds will help Scottish Book Trust in its vital work to bring books to all.”

The book sculptures were originally commissioned in 2012 by Scottish Book Trust to mark the first ever Book Week Scotland.  

All the sculptures went for well above the estimated £1000 starting price, with the sculpture depicting Robert Louis Stevenson’s classic adventure story, Treasure Island, fetching the most at £13,000.
J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan sold for £12,000, while Tam O’Shanter by Robert Burns went for £10,000, Whisky Galore by Compton Mackenzie fetched £9,000 and Lanark by Alasdair Gray was bought for £6,500.

The mysterious artist, who is known to be a woman, first came to the public’s attention when she secretly deposited her book sculptures around cultural venues in Edinburgh throughout 2011. 
During Book Week Scotland in 2012, the commissioned sculptures were discovered in a different location around the country by members of the public.