Samantha will be talking about her novel The Wilderness in the Central Library, William Brown Street, starting at 2.30pm.  The event is free and open to all.  Copies of the book will be on sale at the event and can be signed by the author.

The Wilderness tells the story of Jake, a 65 year old architect who develops Alzheimer’s disease.  It is a clear and moving portrait, not only of a sympathetic man, but also of a heartrending disease as seen from the inside out.

The event will be of particular interest to reading groups, who may want to explore the book further together, and also to general readers and people with a personal or professional contact with anyone who has Alzheimer’s disease.

For any more information about the event, please contact Peter Wallace, Reader Development Officer, at Kensington Library, Kensington, Liverpool, L7 2RJ: tel: 0151 233 4495; email wallacep@liverpool.gov.uk

Professor Raymond Tallis (Visiting Professor, School of English)  will give a lecture entitled ‘Literature, Language and Human Consciousness: One Reader’s Report’ on Wednesday 10th March at 2.30 p.m. in the Leggate Theatre, Victoria Gallery and Museum, University of Liverpool (followed by a drinks reception).

Raymond Tallis is a philosopher, poet, novelist and cultural critic, and until recently was a physician and clinical scientist.  He was listed in the Economist’s Intelligent Life magazine  (Autumn 2009) as one of the top living polymaths in the world.

ALL WELCOME. Please contact Cathy Rees, School of English (reescm@liverpool.ac.uk) if you plan to attend the lecture.

As a child of academic parents, it would never have occurred to me that I needed permission to read any book (TV was a different matter), but the mental health system is packed with people who have suffered their whole lives from the failure of others to recognise and respond to them as thinking, feeling, intelligent human beings. Parents, teachers and society in general have repeatedly reinforced the message that the doors to the treasure house are barred to the likes of them. Unfortunately, much mental health treatment does little to challenge it.

Thankfully, there are signs that this is starting to change. David Fearnley, a forensic psychiatrist at Ashworth high security hospital on Merseyside, runs a Get Into Reading group with patients…

Read it in full here.

Join in the conversation about Get Into Reading at the Conference on Friday 8th Jan and take part in a fun and inspiring Readers’ Day with guest authors on Saturday 9th Jan  – plus, don’t forget the Friday Night Supper: ‘The Value of Reading in a Life’ (with Clare Allan, Brian Keenan, Dr David Fearnley and Jane Davis)

Confirmed speakers over the two days are:

• Clare Allan (author, Poppy Shakespeare)
• Susan Blishen (Mental Health Foundation)
• Dr Jane Davis (Founder and Director of The Reader Organisation)
• Dr David Fearnley (RCPysch Psychiatrist of the Year; Medical Director and Deputy Chief of Mersey Care NHS Trust)
• Brian Keenan (author, An Evil Cradling)
• Blake Morrison (author, journalist and Chair of The Reader Organisation)
• Stuart Smith (Executive Director, Children’s Services, Liverpool City Council)
• plus, Reader Development Librarians, teachers and health professionals, involved with Get Into Reading from across the UK.

… and there are a whole series of workshops to choose from over the two days.

Tickets cost £120 for the whole New Beginnings Experience (£80 for the Get Into Reading Conference, £25 for the Friday Night Supper, £30 for the Readers’ Day) and are going fast, so book your place as soon as possible! Click here to book.

For more information, please contact Claire Speer, Conference Administrator: clairespeer@thereader.org.uk.

Speaking on the programme, Schools Minister Diana Johnson, agreed that we must encourage more than ‘basic literacy skills’ by reading great books but when questioned about it, was unable to defend the fact that far less literature is being taught in schools. It looks like come 2010, the GCSE syllabus will not contain a separate GCSE in English Literature but that only the combined English Language and Literature qualification will be taught. On one hand, it’s good to keep the two together – this brings advantages for literacy and communication skills but it’s worrying that this may be the only focus and that the depth of feeling and wide range of experiences that reading literature offers, will be lost.

The humanising power of literature should be available to all young people and Michael Rosen commented on the programme that the “low level of expectation in Government” has led to deprived people being given a “deprived curriculum”. If people are only given the minimum, then that’s all that they will be able to achieve – it simply can’t be the case that we can work on a minimum basis. If people don’t come into contact with reading that will enthuse and enlighten them, how can we lift people’s achievements?

Josephine Hart is absolutely right in saying that we need passionate people to enthuse children about reading – that human contact is essential – and that’s why our Get Into Reading project workers are in schools and foster homes, reading with young people one-to-one and in groups, to encourage reading for pleasure. This is one way in which our Reading Revolution is happening – and making a very real difference to the lives of these young people. As Jeremy Irons mentioned on the programme, we need to give people a “rounded experience of the life that’s available to them” and there’s no better way to do this than through the reading of great books.

— — —

Linked to this is Gabriella Gruder-Poni’s essay, ‘Scenes from a PGCE’, which was published in The Reader 35 and is available online here.

In the NY Times, the speech has been qu0ted:

I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the considerable controversy that your generous decision has generated. In part, this is because I am at the beginning, and not the end, of my labors on the world stage … Compared to some of the giants of history who have received this prize–Schweitzer and King, Marshall and Mandela–my accomplishments are slight.

In addition to writing his own memoir, Obama has never been shy about sharing his literary recommendations or summer reading list.

Watch Geir Lundestad explain why the Nobel Committee chose Barack Obama for 2009 Nobel Peace Prize.

Roger Phillips brought the penguin (his name’s Patrick and he comes with his Aquatic Attaché);

The University of Liverpool Chamber Choir brought the beautiful music;

Jane Davis, host for the evening, brought her enthusiasm to the whole proceedings;

Frank Cottrell Boyce brought his wonderful nativity story from Millions (who was slightly nervous that he had to follow Alexei Sayle and ‘be funny’: “it’s like going on after Led Zepplin and being told to be loud”, but of course, he didn’t fail to make us all laugh);

Mark Carney brought his theremin (it’s okay, we’d never heard of the instrument either – I can tell you now though that it’s amazing!);

Phil Davis brought us to tears in his moving reading from The Christmas Carol;

Georgina Aasgaard (Cellist) brought the rhythm (with the help of the audience, a xylophone and a cello);

The audience brought good cheer, festive spirit and an impressive singing voice!

It was certainly a good time had by all, and those are just a few highlights! In fact, this may have been the best Penny Readings yet – and I haven’t even mentioned the ‘creative’ raffle wheel – the pressure’s on for next year…

Singing 'Auld Lang Syne'

8^th – 9^th January 2010, Blackburne House, Liverpool

Discounted Booking Offer for New Beginnings ends Monday 30^th November

You can attend the whole New Beginnings experience (Conference, Supper and Readers’ Day) for only £100! Click here to book. Only a few days left to book for the New Beginnings Conference at this special advanced rate so be a savvy saver and book now!

The Reader Organisation, working in partnership with the University of Liverpool, NHS Wirral, Mersey Care NHS Trust and Liverpool PCT, is planning New Beginnings, our first national Get Into Reading Conference (8th Jan), which will share findings and best practice from our innovative reader development and social outreach programme, Get Into Reading. The Readers’ Day (9th Jan) will include a series of creative and inspiring workshops as well as panel discussions and reading recommendations.

Confirmed speakers for New Beginnings include:

Susan Blishen (Mental Health Foundation),

Dr Jane Davis (Founder and Director of The Reader Organisation)

Kathy Doran (Chief Executive, NHS Wirral)

Dr David Fearnley (RCPysch Psychiatrist of the Year; Medical Director and Deputy Chief of Mersey Care NHS Trust)

Brian Keenan (author)

Blake Morrison (author, journalist and Chair of The Reader Organisation)

Tim Pears (author)

Roger Phillips (BBC Radio Merseyside)

Stuart Smith (Executive Director Children’s Services, Liverpool City Council)

Alan Yates (Chief Executive, Mersey Care NHS Trust).

A list of workshops for the conference is now available: click here to see details.

Booking

You can purchase tickets: through PayPal via our website (http://thereader.org.uk/ticket-sales.html); you can send us a cheque (made payable to The Reader Organisation and sent to Claire Speer, Conference Administrator, The Reader Organisation, 19 Abercromby Square, Liverpool, L69 7ZG); or pay via BACS (please register with Claire Speer – details below – and use a fist initial and surname as reference). We will be able to point you to a range of local hotels and B&Bs.

For more information, please contact Claire Speer, Conference Administrator: clairespeer@thereader.org.uk, or call 0151 794 2830.