Thousands of books will be placed in a variety of locations in major UK cities, including some with messages from famous authors such as: Carol Ann Duffy, Ian Rankin and children's illustrator Shaun Tan.
As part of the marketing season, readers will be given details through guardian.co.uk/bookswap and Twitter about where to find the books, and will be invited to upload images of them onto Flickr and write reviews on the Guardian's website. Readers of the Guardian and Observer are also encouraged to leave their favourite books and tweet about where they have left them.
Chris Lawson, GNM's Content, Sales and Marketing Director, said: "We know our readers are passionate about books and we think this is a fun way for them to share in the enjoyment of reading. This is our first ever book swap and is a refreshing way of engaging with people using social media and to reach new audiences."
The marketing season will also include:
• A week of Le Carre audiobooks including Tinker Tailor Solider Spy and Our Kind of Traitor
• A competition to redesign the front cover of the children's education edition of Lord of the Flies
• A discount loyalty card to a selection of independent bookshops across the UK and an A5 guide to independent bookshops
• A guide to children's books and a week of children's audiobooks
• A guide on how to write fiction with contributions from Kate Mosse, Mark Billingham and Jill Dawson
• A collection of short stories
The books season is the latest themed marketing season from Guardian News & Media, and builds on the success of GNM's past marketing seasons – Music Loves Summer, Start Happy and the Film Season. It will be supported by an extensive media campaign created by Wieden & Kennedy, London, including digital, consumer press adverts, digital rail and underground advertising and promotion across guardian.co.uk, the Guardian and The Observer.
To find out the locations of the book follow @guardianbooks or @gdnbookswap or search using the #guardianbookswap hashtag.
