A literary equivalent to Dublin’s community bike scheme is to be launched on Thursday to coincide with World Book Day.
Irish authors will be leaving signed copies of their books in public places across the country from people to pick up, peruse and pass on.
People are encouraged to take part in the month-long event by leaving their own unused tomes on park benches or in coffee shops for others to enjoy.
Organisers of World Book Day Ireland said the initiative is aimed “at spreading a love of reading and books”.
They recommend people protect their books from the elements if leaving them outside, by placing them in a clear plastic bag marked “free book”.
Books can be registered and tracked to see where they are dropped off and collected on www.bookcrossing.com.
According to John McNamee, spokesman for World Book Day Ireland, "Books open the doors to so many worlds and who knows what gem of a read you might find this year”.
"We are lucky in Ireland to have so many world class authors and we are immensely grateful to them for sending so many of their wonderful books on this fascinating adventure," he said.
This year the special World Book Day book for Irish children; An Buachaill Bó by Gillian Perdue/The Witch Apprentice by Marian Broderick will be available in Braille for the first time from the National Council for the Blind of Ireland (NCBI) library.
Both books can be viewed being read by their authors on YouTube. Also, children will be able to enjoy the specially published books being read to them by authors and actors through an online initiative, Read to a Million Kids.