The gift of the mysterious book sculptures will continue to keep giving as The Scottish Poetry Library and Edinburgh's UNESCO City of Literature Trust announced yesterday that the ten book sculptures gifted to venues around Edinburgh will embark on a national tour of Scotland.

All ten sculptures will be displayed in public together for the first time as libraries (and the Wigtown Book Festival) around the country will exhibit these celebrations of the written word.

The tour begins on August 17th and will take in Aberdeen, Dundee, Wigtown, Glasgow and Dunfermline before returning to Edinburgh on the 24th November ahead of Book Week Scotland.

The creator of these sculptures remains a mystery and each of the pieces came with a unique message that included the line 'in support of libraries, books, words, ideas....'. Now the recipients have come together to 're-gift' the sculptures to a wider Scottish audience.

Speaking at the announcement Scottish Poetry Library Director Robyn Marsack said: “These book sculptures have moved us not only because of their exquisite and intelligent craft, their tribute to what all of the recipient organisations try to nurture and share, but also because they are the purest of gifts, unrequested and anonymous. They remind us that we are a community that can dream, and nudge the impossible into the actual: a cap of feathers, a glove of bees’ fur.”

Between March and November 2011, ten intricate book sculptures were found at various well known institutions across Edinburgh. Photographed as they were found by Edinburgh based photographer Chris Scott they became a social media sensation. News and images of sculptures were hosted on over 100 different blogs and news sites as the act of generosity has captured the imagination of millions around the world.

Now a series of venues will get to host the sculptures as part of a Scottish tour supported by Creative Scotland. Director of Creative Development Venu Dhupa is looking forward to the tour saying: “Creative Scotland are excited to be able to support this distinctive and big-hearted project, an exhibition tour which celebrates not only the vital role of our local libraries and arts institutions, but the creativity and generosity of the anonymous sculptor. It's about celebrating a truly Edinburgh story of creativity - and mystery - and taking that to libraries and communities throughout the country. The project aligns with the Year of Creative Scotland, highlighting one creative gesture that has taken hold of our imaginations - here in Scotland, and around the world.”

This tour will coincide with the publication of a luscious gift book centring on the sculptures, published by Birlinn, and to be launched on the works’ return to Edinburgh in November 2012, and will be enhanced with a series of events in each location, celebrating the artworks and encouraging audiences to explore their purpose and inspiration. 

To find out more about the exhibition please visit: www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk

Followers on twitter can use the hashtag #GiftEDtour and connect on Facebook here: http://www.facebook.com/scottishpoetrylibrary

The full tour details of GiftED: The Edinburgh Book Sculptures on Tour 2012 are:

• Aberdeen Central Library: Friday 17 August – Thursday 6 September
• Dundee Central Library: Friday 7 September – Tuesday 25 September
• Wigtown Book Festival: The Studio: Friday 28 September – Sunday 7 October
• Mitchell Library, Glasgow: Tuesday 9 October – Saturday 27 October
• Dunfermline Carnegie Library: Tuesday 30 October – Sunday 18 November
• Scottish Poetry Library: Saturday 24 November – Saturday 8 December

The ten sculptures to go on display together are:

1. Poetree - Collection of the Scottish Poetry Library
2. Coffin and gramophone - Collection of the National Library of Scotland
3. Cinema - Collection of Edinburgh Filmhouse
4. Dragon’s nest - Collection of the Scottish Storytelling Centre
5. Tea, cake and a book - Collection of Edinburgh International Book Festival
6. Lost in a good book… - Collection of Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature
7. Magnifying glass - Collection of the Edinburgh Central Library
8. Cap and gloves - Collection of the Scottish Poetry Library
9. Dinosaur - Collection of the National Museum of Scotland
10. Street scene - Collection of Edinburgh Museums & Galleries: The Writers' Museum