Image MADRID IS FILLED WITH BOOKBENCHES IN A NEW EDITION OF "THE BOOK YOU HAVE IN YOUR HEAD"

MADRID IS FILLED WITH BOOKBENCHES IN A NEW EDITION OF "THE BOOK YOU HAVE IN YOUR HEAD"
2025/05/26

Reading takes to the streets of Madrid . From this Wednesday, May 22nd, to June 22nd, the capital hosts a new edition of the successful reading promotion campaign promoted by Penguin Random House , in collaboration with JCDecaux and Carat , and with the support of Madrid City Council .

The initiative, which has already become a highly anticipated annual event, returns in 2025 with 26 giant book-shaped benches distributed across eight Madrid districts : Centro, Chamartín, Chamberí, Fuencarral-El Pardo, Moncloa-Aravaca, Retiro, Salamanca, and Tetuán . Each bench is inspired by a literary work by national and international authors, covering a wide variety of genres to suit all tastes.

More than just street furniture, these book benches are spaces for rest, reflection, and inspiration , located in iconic corners of the city. The proposal invites passersby to stop, sit, and reconnect with reading, while encouraging them to discover neighborhood bookstores, nearby libraries, and local businesses .

Culture and technology at the service of the reader

Each bench includes a QR code that links to a digital platform where you can view an interactive map with the exact location of the benches, information about the work, and the author who inspired each one.

The campaign thus becomes an urban literary route that combines art, technology and social revitalization, and also serves as a prelude to the 84th Madrid Book Fair , which will be held from May 30 to June 15 in El Retiro Park.

Madrid's reading promotion and commercial revitalization campaign is once again transforming the urban landscape with the installation of 26 giant book-shaped benches spread across eight districts of the capital. Each one is inspired by a literary work and becomes a meeting point for culture and citizens. Below, we detail some of the most notable benches by district:

Center:

  • Callao Square – “Networks” by Eloy Moreno

  • Moor's Gate – “Jotadé” by Santiago Díaz

  • Gran Vía 29 (Casa del Libro) – “In Love and War” by Ildefonso Falcones

  • Gran Vía / Alcalá – Metropolis Building – “Don’t Be Afraid” by Stephen King

  • Plaza del Ángel – “The Lady of the Charterhouse” by Inma Aguilera

  • C/ Huertas 71 (Barrio de las Letras) – “The Yellow Universe” by Albert Espinosa

  • Sevilla Street and Alcalá Street (opposite the Four Seasons Hotel) – “The Black Albatross” by María Oruña

  • Felipe II Square (Casa del Libro, Alcalá area) – “Powerless” by Lauren Roberts

  • Plaza de Cibeles (next to the median kiosk) – “My name is Emilia del Valle” by Isabel Allende

  • Independence Square (main entrance to Retiro Park) – “The Boy Who Lost the War” by Julia Navarro

  • Cuesta de Moyano / C/ Atocha – “A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms” by George RR Martin

 

Salamanca:

  • Plaza de Colón (National Library) – “The Hunger Games 5” by Suzanne Collins

  • Plaza de Colón with Jorge Juan – “The Diva” by Reyes Monforte

  • Alcalá Street (next to Casa del Libro) – “God’s Fool at the End of the World” by Javier Cercas

Fuencarral-El Prado:

  • Monforte de Lemos Avenue (entrance to La Vaguada shopping center) – “We treat each other well” by Lucía Serrano

  • Caleido Mall Entrance – “A Little Life” by Hanya Yanagihara

Chamartín:

  • Prosperity Plaza (López de Hoyos with Suero de Quiñones) – “Horror School” by Sally Rippin

Chamberí:

  • Raimundo Fernández Villaverde with Cuatro Caminos – “Goa” by Míriam Tirado

  • Glorieta de Bilbao – “The idiot is going to write a novel” by Juan José Millás

  • Alonso Martínez Square – “The Housekeeper” by Freida McFadden

Tetouan

  • Lateral Castellana (Moda Shopping area – Bernabéu) – “How to say fuck off politely” by Alba Cardalda

  • Cuzco Square – “The Very Catastrophic Visit to the Zoo” by Joel Dicker

Moncloa-Aravaca:

  • Plaza de España – “The Spaniard” by Jorge Molist

  • Calle Princesa – “Eternal / Ethereal” by Joana Marcús

Withdrawal:

  • Main Entrance to the Book Fair (Paseo de Coches, El Retiro Park) – “The Island of the Sleeping Woman” by APR

  • Ibiza Street (Trías de Bes Library) – “Mortadelo and Filemón – 13 Rue del Percebe” by Francisco Ibáñez

 

You can check out the route of all the bookbanks in the new edition of "The Book You Have in Your Head" right here.