With 2026 celebrated as the National Year of Reading, an eye-catching double-decker bus is travelling the country with a simple mission: help people rediscover the joy of books.
The brightly decorated vehicle is called Bus Different, an award-winning mobile library created by Leicestershire teacher and literacy advocate Lindzi Mayann. Part home, part community hub and part travelling book swap, the converted bus is quickly becoming a familiar sight at festivals and events across the UK.
Picture credit: Lindzi Mayann
Lyndzi bought the double-decker in 2023 and spent much of 2024 transforming it by hand.
“I started the conversion upstairs with the bedroom and worked my way down,” she said. “The library was the final piece that came together.”
By early 2025 she had moved into the bus full-time and continued refining the build before launching its official journey in June that year.
Today the upper deck houses her living space – including a bedroom, bathroom and storage – while downstairs is open to the public as a colourful mini-library stocked with around 1,000 books.
A dream years in the making
The unusual project has roots going back decades.
As a child, Lyndzi was fascinated by double-decker buses and once dreamed of becoming a bus driver. Later she explored the idea of converting one into a café, but high festival pitch fees put the idea on hold.
Years later, during what she describes as a “midlife rethink”, the idea resurfaced.
“Suddenly I thought – why don’t you just get the double-decker bus?” she said. “Everything started to fall into place.”
At the same time she had already begun collecting books, with the thought that one day she might create a travelling library.
“I’m a huge reader,” she said. “Friends would say they were taking boxes of books to the charity shop and I’d grab them before they got there.”
Those early collections formed the first stock for Bus Different’s shelves.
A free library on wheels
At the heart of the project is a free book swap. Visitors can step aboard, browse the shelves and take a book home – or swap one of their own.
The bus also doubles as a relaxed reading space, with seats where visitors can stay and enjoy a book for hours.
“It’s become a bit of a community hub,” Lyndzi explained. “At festivals people often use the bus as a meeting point for the weekend.”
She says the colourful, quirky design helps draw people in – even those who might not usually see themselves as readers.
“Even if someone isn’t particularly into books, they’re curious about the bus,” she said. “It adds that novelty that gets people through the door.”
Once inside, the range of titles often surprises them. The shelves include everything from crime novels and fantasy to children’s books, biographies and cookbooks.
“There’s definitely something for everyone,” she said.
Passion for literacy
As a specialist teacher who works with young people in alternative education, Lyndzi has long been passionate about literacy.
She believes reading should feel exciting and accessible – especially at a time when digital entertainment dominates.
“Books have helped me so much over the years,” she said. “I don’t want reading to disappear without a fight.”
For Lyndzi, reading has also been deeply personal. After recently receiving an ADHD diagnosis as an adult, she now recognises how books provided an escape and a way to focus her busy mind.
“Reading was always my escape when I was younger,” she said. “It helped me step into other worlds.”
She now advocates for neurodivergent learners through her platform A Different Human Design, offering tutoring, resources and support for families.
A festival favourite
Bus Different is now a regular presence at festivals across the country, travelling from North Yorkshire to the south coast.
This year alone the project is booked for 13 festivals, bringing its distinctive mix of books, conversation and quiet space to a wide range of audiences.
One of the highlights will be Barefoot Festival, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this summer.
The event takes place on July 24 at Cattows Farm in Heather, Leicestershire, where the bus will once again open its doors to visitors looking for a quiet moment with a book.
Whether people come to browse, swap stories or simply relax, Mayann believes the bus has tapped into something timeless.
“People are incredibly passionate about books,” she said. “You see them spot the bus across a field and run towards it.”
As the National Year of Reading encourages more people to pick up a book, Bus Different is proving that sometimes the best library isn’t a building – but a bright double-decker bus on the road.
