Natural LITERARY GREENGROCER

“Get your loverly Graham Greenes ere!”

Displaying their fruity fiction and leafy literature, brown coated barrow boys are ready to involve you in the Naturals' style of merry banter on their very own fruit and veg stall. But this is no ordinary market barrow, as the displays bizarrely consist of second hand books. Ripe and juicy - by the pound and priced in old money. See how many uses of the greengrocer's apostrophe you can spot!
 

A realistic market stall, complete with scales and fake grass. From a distance, it looks exactly like an old fashioned greengrocers. On closer inspection, the 'produce' on display consists bizarrely of second hand books laid out in the manner of fruit and vegetables. Some of the books are cut up into chunks or glued together in tempting pyramids and are actually for sale.

Typical fruiterer's labels proclaim the goods to be 'juicy' or 'spicy' or 'pot boilers'. The stall-holders employ a thesaurus of dreadful fruit, veg and literary puns in the process.

This piece was first seen at the Trafalgar Square Festival in 2005 and was a popular success, combining as it does a beautifully constructed installation, a surreal visual pun and a very merry way to encourage the buying of books.

The Literary Greengrocer is normally 'performed' in two one-hour sessions. Although it can be presented in an indoor situation, it is perhaps best seen in the context of a real street or market place.

Click here for a taste