SHOPPERS saw a strange sculpture taking shape in Huddersfield.
Artist Wren Miller used a thousand books to create a wishing well at the Oxfam shop at Market Walk.
The artist took on the task as part of the charity’s Bookfest 2011 celebrations.
She said: “I decided to make a book sculpture in the shape of a wishing well because it links in with Oxfam’s work overseas.
“Ensuring people have access to clean water is a big part of Oxfam’s work.
“I used the same technique of stacking as you use for making a dry-stone wall.”
Wren added that passers-by had taken an interest in her sculpture.
“Some shoppers have asked me what it’s about,” she said.
Wren started work at 10.30am using books donated to Oxfam to create the sculpture. By 4pm the wishing well was five-feet high.
The Shropshire-based artist builds book sculptures across the country.
Wren said: “The biggest I’ve ever done was at a festival in Shrewsbury in 2009 to celebrate the 200th anniversary of Charles Darwin’s birth. It was 120 metres long.”
Wren built her sculpture yesterday as part of Bookfest, the annual celebration of second-hand books.
Adrian Hughes, who manages Oxfam’s shops in Huddersfield town centre, was pleased with Wren’s work. He said: “We hold an event every year to remind people we’re here and create a bit of interest.
“We’ll leave the sculpture here for a few days and then we’ll take it down and put all the books back on sale.”
