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Hundreds Of Books Are Circulating On Melbourne’s Transport System For Free

Hundreds Of Books Are Circulating On Melbourne’s Transport System For Free

Have you ever seen a lone book on public transport and pitied whoever accidentally left it behind? It might not have been an accident.

It’s no secret that Melbourne has a great arts scene, and that includes literature. It’s so fantastic, in fact, that at present there’s a book exchange happening on Melbourne’s public transport system, and most people don’t even know it. Books On The Rail is aimed at encouraging Melbourne folk to pick up a book instead of their phone on transport.

Get in Kew for this irreverent and playful crime novel by award winning author #SueWilliams 🚇 #booksontherail @text_publishing

A photo posted by Books on the Rail (@booksontherail) on

“We set books loose on Australian public transport services. We have everything from historical fiction to memoirs to psychological thrillers to colouring in books in circulation. They’re there to be taken, read (or coloured!), shared, and of course, enjoyed! Once thoroughly satisfied, the books are to be released back into the wild, ready to be discovered, time after time, by unsuspecting commuters.,” say founders Ali Berg and Michelle Kalus on their website.

So how does it work? People are free to read the books they find and return them to public transportation for others to discover, they’re also encouraged to share their experiences or reviews of the books they find, and also track that book’s journey.

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The two women, who call themselves “book ninjas” are always on the lookout for more books and titles to distribute. Head to their website for more info.

(Lead image: Books On The Rail/Facebook)

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