The Poems on the Underground team have never lost sight of the diversity of London's population and visitors. Many poems in translation (with the original) have appeared, such as 'La Chenille' by Guillaume Apollinaire; together they create a marvellous multilingual anthology of world poetry. There are also several collections of poems available in book form.

Poems on the Underground (re)introduces passengers to a vast range of work, and is not afraid to tackle and reflect contemporary issues and lives. Set 113, which appeared in February this year, included the themes of spring, truth, love, separation and exile. ‘[Clearance]’ by Kayo Chingonyi is a 'light-hearted take on dispossession'.

'Sonnet from the Portuguese' by Elizabeth Barrett Browning is such a classic that it has appeared twice, first in 1988. This is the earlier version, designed by the then London College of Printing (it is one of the many poem posters available from the London Transport Museum). Great care is taken with the setting of every poem, and the small team who select and produce the posters have collaborated with many organisations over the years to create one of Britain's most successful public art programmes.

Poems on the Underground have been appearing in London Tube carriages since 1986, delighting, amusing, and intriguing many of the three million daily passengers. They are presented on well designed panel posters with type large enough to read from seats and standing room. 'Adlestrop' by Edward Thomas is one of the more famous poems which can be enjoyed once again or memorised between stations. (We publish two short memoirs by Helen, his wife.)

The classic first edition artwork for Stig of the Dump (1963) was created by Edward Ardizzone (1900-79) and is still used on modern editions. Martin Salisbury describes Ardizzone as 'perhaps the twentieth century's most important and influential illustrator'. The paperback has a wraparound cover design in his hallmark 'hand-made' style which 'invariably formed a friendly invitation to enter the world within'.

Nigel Molesworth, 'the gorila of 3B' and 'curse of st custard's' has, thankfully, not altered at all since he was first drawn by Ronald Searle who illustrated the school stories written by Geoffrey Willans in the 1950s. 'As any fule kno', as Molesworth would say, just one look at a cover in the series will elicit laughter and happy memories of childhood - or more recent - reading.

The Swesdish-Finnish artist, author and illustrator Tove Jansson (1914-2001) was a one-woman publishing phenomenon. Finn Family Moomintroll (1948) was the third in the series but the first Moomin book to be published in English in 1961. It contains a foreword by Moominmamma in which she explains the nature of Moomins for fear that English children may not have heard of them; she also apologises for her “rottn” English. The Moomins are still as immediately recognisable as they were when they first appeared in 1945.