World Book Day - Celebrating 90 years of Penguin Books

In celebration of World Book Day, and the upcoming 90th anniversary of Penguin Books, a series of themed bookshelves that honour Exeter’s unique global status as a City of Literature has been announced. 

90 years ago, Sir Allen Lane was inspired to found Penguin Books after he couldn’t find a good book to read at Exeter St Davids station. In 2023, Exeter City of Literature ‘solved’ this problem by introducing the Penguin Books Vending Machine at the station.

The machine has proven to be a hit with locals and commuters alike, garnering millions of views thanks to a string of viral social media posts and national press attention that lauded its uniqueness. Authors also celebrated the launch, with Elif Shafak and Richard Osman - who both regularly feature in the Penguin Books Vending Machine - singing its praises as a unique piece of literary placemaking for Exeter.

Now in 2025, the Penguin Books Vending Machine will play host to a curated selection of books from Penguin’s 90 years of publishing success with Exeter City of Literature managing the unique book dispenser’s inventory. Customers can expect to encounter a series of themed books in the machine to celebrate Exeter’s place in the bookish world as one of only 53 UNESCO Cities of Literature.

During important days on the UNESCO calendar, such as International Literacy Day, readers can expect to find a selection of fiction and poetry by authors from Cities of Literature around the world. This March, UNESCO Cities of Literature across the world support linguistic diversity and powerful expression on World Poetry Day. Travelers through St Davids can pick up Twelve Words for Moss from Devon's own Elizabeth Jane Burnett, and Letters to a Young Poet by Prague City of Literature’s Rainer Maria Rilke.

In April, Exeter City of Literature will work with celebrated local author Michael Morpurgo and his wife Clare (daughter of Sir Allen Lane) to populate the machine with some of their favourite Penguin novels and his own work published under Penguin. Throughout 2025, Exeter City of Literature will collaborate with locally linked authors, including Fiona Williams, Sophie Pavelle, Esmie Jikiemi-Pearson, Lucy Holland, and Sarah Pearse to showcase their Penguin picks in the machine.

In the coming months, the people of Devon will also have the opportunity to vote on what books they’d like to see in the Penguin Books Vending Machine. Profits from the vending machine support Exeter City of Literature, a charity that makes reading more fun and accessible throughout the region.

Photo credits - Jim Wileman