Kidnapped, but free to roam

Published on Monday 23 April 2007 11:59

COPIES of Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped have travelled the world after being "released into the wild" in Edinburgh.

Around 250 copies of the novel were left lying in random places around the Capital by the City of Literature Trust in February.

And after just a few weeks some the classic books have already been on something of an adventure, with copies turning up all over the globe.

The travelling books are being registered on the BookCrossing website, which encourages its 500,000 members worldwide to leave books in a public place so they can be picked up and read by others, before being left somewhere else.

A number on the inside cover allows books to be registered at the website, so they can be tracked.

Copies of Kidnapped have been registered in Calcutta, Barcelona, Stockholm and Frankfurt, and one "bookcrosser" has even pledged to take the book on a round the world tour after finding a copy at the Scottish Executive.

Many other books are getting around in Scotland, with one found on a Glasgow to Edinburgh train, one turning up in St Andrews and another being registered in Berwickshire.

Still more have stayed in the city, turning up everywhere from mobile phone shops, pharmacies, bus stops and park benches to cinemas, cafes and pubs.

One was found in a plant pot at the entrance to the Eighty Queen Street bar, while another copy was last registered as being on its way to London by train.

The release was part of the Evening News-backed One Book - One Edinburgh campaign, designed to make the classic tale of Davie Balfour's adventures more freely available than ever before.

Ali Bowden, manager of the Edinburgh Unesco City of Literature Trust, said: "The BookCrossing scheme is a great way of extending the One Book - One Edinburgh citywide reading campaign beyond of the city.

"Although a truly Scottish story, Kidnapped has such a wide appeal both nationally and internationally, it is only right that through the BookCrossing scheme it has reached as far as London, Barcelona and Calcutta."

Douglas McNaughton, 40, a student from Leith, found his copy in the Stevenson room of the Hawes Inn at South Queensferry - famously featured in the novel. He is now looking forward to leaving it for someone else to find.

"I thought it was wonderful - I've lived in Scotland all my life but I'd never read Kidnapped, and it was a great read," he said.

"I've never actually done bookcrossing before, although I'd heard about it in America, so it's fun to be involved. I think I'll probably leave my copy on a bus, as that way it won't get wet.

"I'll be trying to follow it around to see where it winds up. It's a little like sending out a message in a bottle, as you've no idea where it might go."

Five new versions of the book, including one taken from Stevenson's original manuscripts at the National Library of Scotland and a graphic novel by Judge Dredd writer Alan Grant and artist Cam Kennedy, were published for the campaign, with 25,000 copies given to schools and libraries.

The books released included almost 40 copies of the sought-after graphic novel adaptation, although only one of them has been found and registered, with the new owner promising to "leave it doon the pub".

The books' progress can be tracked at www.bookcrossing.com