UK bookstore chain Waterstones has come up with one of the most visually delightful promotional ideas for literature in a long while. “To celebrate the launch of The LEGO Movie tomorrow, we’re playing with plastic bricks,” the Waterstones blog declares. “And we want your help recreating your favourite booky moments in brick form.”
The iconic picture that everyone’s sharing for this competition is The Red Wedding, from George R.R. Martin’s A Storm of Swords. And it’s worth it:
Make no mistake, this jape has cultural cred. Here’s the climatic battle between Arthur and Mordred from Sir Thomas Malory’s Le Morte d’Arthur.
Waterstones is inviting readers to join in online, by sharing pictures of their creations with the hashtag #LEGOLit. “All you have to do is pick a scene from your favourite book and recreate it in LEGO. Not only will we share our favourites on the blog, but there’s some great prizes for the top three entries.” The prizes, naturally enough, are more LEGO sets.
Given the popularity of LEGO computer games, Mindstorms, and Minecraft-style block-building projects, it’s not hard to envisage more physical and digital LEGO promotions for particular books, series, and themes. A complete virtual LEGO set with each ebook of The Lord of the Rings or each Star Wars novelization, for instance? Why not? And for more high-minded aspirations, how about a complete set of LEGO Shakespeare? You know it makes sense …
