AN empty Blackburn shop will be given a new lease of life by an international artist.
Lucy May Schofield, who has worked in the archives of the Victoria and Albert Museum, is to turn her sights to Blackburn.
She will aim to make a book archive that documents the reading habits and stories of the community.
It will eventually go on display at Blackburn Museum.
She will be working with Blackburn Museum and the archives of the recently closed Star Paper Mill in the shop at 11 Fleming Square.
She said: “I would like to invite residents to make suggestions to form a unique local book collection inspired by Blackburn Museum and Arts Gallery’s Hart book collection.
“Edward Hart was a local Victorian industrialist who ran the Lambeth Rope Works.
"With his fortune he collected over 800 manuscripts and books to trace the history of the written word.”
The work from the new project will be displayed alongside an exhibition of the Star Paper Mill archive in Blackburn Museum and Art Gallery in January.
Ms Schofield will be in the shop at set times until August 11, for sessions including book groups and readings.
A full list of sessions can be found on www.blackburnbookarchive.blogspot.com, and in the shop window.
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