London’s St. Pancras Station has inaugurated the 2023 holiday season with a wonderful Christmas booktree. Created in collaboration with Hatchards  the 12 meter tall installation is not just a festive centrepiece; it’s a literary wonderland inspired by British authors.

The booktree features a whimsical design with a winding staircase and 270 shelves adorned with over 3,800 hand-painted books, including timeless classics like Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol” and C.S. Lewis’ “The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe.”

Within this majestic tree are eight cozy reading nooks where train travelers can immerse themselves in the magic of the holiday season, figuratively and literally. Each booth is equipped with speakers that allow visitors to select a five-minute excerpt from an audiobook, exclusively provided by Penguin Books. They can choose from a selection of sixteen different audios, featuring authors like Charles Dickens, Beatrix Potter, Zadie Smith, and more.

Wendy Spinks, Commercial Director at St. Pancras and HS1 Ltd, said: ”This year’s St. Pancras International Christmas Tree is an ode to the wealth of literature that transports us to exciting and novel worlds. From real-life travel experiences to the fantastical lands of our imagination, we hope that festive visitors feel the magic and are inspired to pick up or gift their loved ones the most timeless gift of all, Books.”