stella ON THE GO | Free Books left on public transport stella ON THE GO | Free Books left on public transport

Hundreds of Free Books Have Been Left on Buses, Trams and Trains Across the Country

Pick it up, read it, pass it on. That's the message behind a new initiative scattering free fiction on public transport this winter.

Stella has launched a new national initiative to promote literature and get us out of our screens with free books: stella ON THE GO.

This winter Stella will be placing a selection of free books written by Australian women and non-binary authors on trams, trains, buses and public spaces across the country. All you have to do when you find one is grab it and start reading.

Once you finish the book, you decide if you keep it or pass it on to a friend to read, put in a public place for someone else to grab.

stella ON THE GO fosters a national conversation about reading and takes us out of our screens - and here it does not matter if you love books or haven't read one in ages, the invitation is open to everyone to read as much or as little as they like from these free books.

From 18 June 2024, people will find books in Melbourne, Sydney, Cairns, Darwin, Hobart, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth.

Reading has multiple benefits

Reading even if it is only for a few minutes a day, can be as effective as a yoga class to calm you down.
Reading allows us to inhabit and understand others' perspectives, nurturing empathy.
Researchers have shown that reading for 20 minutes a day can help you live longer.

Next time you are on public transport and see a Stella book:

Take it
Read it
Keep it or pass on

Please let us know which books you find, read, or put in a new public space on Instagram or Facebook using the hashtag #stellaonthego.

If you have books you'd like to donate, please email info@stella.org.au.

broadsheet.com.au says

On your commute today, did you spy a paperback with a green label on the cover? It was probably one of hundreds of books deliberately placed on buses, trains, trams and ferries by the people behind the Stella Prize, an annual award celebrating writing by womxn.

The new initiative is all about getting us off our screens and into one of the excellent reads written by women and non-binary authors, including previous Stella Prize winners Charlotte Wood and Thuy On. The label reads: "This book is free. Take. Read. Keep or pass on." Five hundred books have been donated by publishers, and more will be dropped on public transport throughout winter.

"With Stella on the Go, we want to ensure diverse stories reach as many people as possible and inspire new generations of readers. There is so much scientific research to back up the health benefits of reading, we want to assist with breaking down the financial barrier between readers and reading," said Stella CEO Fiona Sweet in a statement.

Readers are invited to share their experience on Instagram and Tiktok with the hashtag #stellaonthego.

Source: broadsheet.com.au

Books on the Rail

Not a new concept, Books on the Rail started in 2018 invited you to FIND a book on a train tram or bus? Pick it up and take it home with you!

As far as we know, its still going.

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❊ Web Links ❊

➼ stella ON THE GO | Free Books left on public transport 

➼ stella.org.au/stellaonthego






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