10 People Get To Sleep In A Bookstore Overnight Because Of Twitter

After a Texan man went viral on Twitter for getting locked inside a London bookstore, the store decided to host a "lock-in" for 10 lucky guests. Your childhood dream come true.

When Texan David Willis got locked inside a U.K. bookstore, he turned to Twitter for help.

David Willis @DWill_

Hi @Waterstones I've been locked inside of your Trafalgar Square bookstore for 2 hours now. Please let me out.

Thu Oct 16 21:55:17 UTC+0000 2014

instagram.com

But instead of a rescue or a response from @Waterstones, Willis got more than 16,000 retweets and sparked a wave of jealousy from bibliophiles all over the world.

Kirsty M @indigobuttons

Hahahaha! Love the guy locked in Waterstones. Actually living the dream.

10:34 PM - 16 Oct 2014

Jamie HELLinger @JamieBellinger

I am so jealous of @DWill_, currently locked in a Waterstones store. You're living the dream, David! More tweets please!

11:14 PM - 16 Oct 2014

Oliver Dyson @OliverD22

I need to know more about the #WaterstonesTexan. Rolling updates on his status. Is he alive? Is he reading? Does he have a bookmark?

10:50 PM - 16 Oct 2014

Shazia @shazia1981

Weirdly jealous of the guy who got locked in the #Waterstones store overnight #waterstonestexan #bookloverproblems 😂😂😂

01:38 PM - 18 Oct 2014

Julie Danskin @thisisdanskin

Imagining that #WaterstonesTexan has made himself a nest/fort using copies of Robinson Crusoe and other such castaway, isolatory literature.

11:16 PM - 16 Oct 2014

While Willis was eventually freed (and Waterstones presumably learned to check its mentions more), the store took advantage of the publicity to offer 10 lucky fans a chance to get locked in its store — on purpose.

airbnb.com

The store held a competition with Airbnb to make everyone's childhood dreams of Basil E. Frankweiler-ing in a bookstore come true.

Now, the tables of enviable experience are turned and the winners will not only get to sleep in the store, but they'll get mattresses, catered snacks, and other treats that Willis probably dreamed about during his accidental stay.

airbnb.com

Guests will get a tour of Waterstones' Piccadilly location in London, the largest bookstore in Europe, tips on getting a good night’s rest from Richard Wiseman, author of Night School, and catered snacks and breakfast.

Airbnb, which initiated the contest during the Twitterstorm, has also hosted a sleepover in an Australian Ikea. The contest is now closed, but you can read more about it here.