This week’s Recommended Read comes from Lois Walters, our Lambeth Get Into Reading Project Worker, who has returned again and again to W Somerset Maugham’s The Painted Veil.

I was a late comer to Somerset Maugham; perhaps wrongly thinking him a white male colonial writer, but The Painted Veil has converted me. His 1925 depiction of a woman’s journey from shallow social privilege to spiritual awakening and maturity took me on journey that reflected that of the woman, Kitty.  From South Kensington in London, through Hong Kong and the cholera ridden remote depths of mainland China Kitty and I, stumbling at times, discovered a world beyond our own.

The book’s title refers to Shelley’s sonnet ‘Lift Not The Painted Veil’ which suggests we should ‘lift not the painted veil’ of life for ‘behind, lurk Fear and Hope, twin destinies’.  At the start of the novel Kitty leads a vacuous and superficial life – her destiny defined by her social status and gender. The book cleverly mirrors Kitty’s intellectual and mental  state- starting with short, often mawkish chapters where the characters are given  physical descriptions and little depth, and then developing into longer deeper chapters as Kitty, often accidentally (or through destiny), is exposed to a world beyond privileged South Kensington between the wars.

The opening chapter is one of great tension before Maugham flashes back and forth between past and present explaining to the reader how Kitty comes to be caught in flagrante delicto in the opening pages. Even after several reads it still amazes me that the book was first published in 1925, and more amazingly that it was written by a man. As Maugham slowly lifts the painted veil of Kitty’s life we the readers are drawn into her world, as she, in the words of the poem ‘sought…things to love’. Kitty like most of the characters is not wholly likeable; she is vain, judgemental and selfish – or perhaps, real? We discover as the book opens up that behind the painted veil of her life do indeed lurk fear and hope; Kitty marries a man she doesn’t love, or even really know, out of fear that she will be ‘left on the shelf’- partly spurred on by the chance that her younger sister  will beat her to the altar. She then experiences hope when she falls in love with Charlie and starts an affair with him, only to then be sent back to fear as he lets her down and she is forced to travel to cholera ridded Mei-tan-fu with the husband she does not love.

Shelley’s poem refers to hope and fear as ‘twin destinies’ and throughout the book we see them juxtaposed. Not just for Kitty though. Her cold and calculating mother fears that Kitty, when she is still unmarried at 25 (again important to remember the book was written in 1925), will be a burden on the family. One of the parts of the book that I found most disturbing is when Kitty arrives in Mei-tan-fu, full of fear, and thinks of running away but then realises

It was out of the question. If she went where would she go? Not to her mother; her mother would make her see very plainly that, having married her off, she counted on being rid of her.

But there is still the hope that her lover Charlie may come to her rescue, for Kitty has not yet lifted the painted veil that she has draped over Charlie Townsend hiding the reality that he is also self serving and superficial.

One of the reasons I love the book is that although Kitty is selfish and vacuous, she is also a product of her environment. She is naive and sheltered, there to look pretty and support her husband – but as we see her thrown into situations she is unfamiliar with she shows as certain bravery and stoicism. She also matures and starts to see the world outside her very parochial upbringing. There is a very beautiful scene, when she has arrived in Mei-tan-fu and is miserable and missing Charlie. She awakes from dreaming about him and observes the morning mist slowly dispersing and;

suddenly from that white cloud a tall, grim bastion emerged. It seemed not merely to be made visible by the all-discovering sun but rather to rise out of nothing at the touch of a magic wand.

This vision moves Kitty to tears and is the start of her spiritual maturity (and I think the moment that the members of my Get Into Reading group started to empathise with her);

she had never felt so light of heart and it seemed to her as though her body were a shell that lay at her feet and she pure spirit. Here was Beauty. She took it as the believer takes in his mouth the wafer which is God

The novel opens up as Kitty opens her eyes to the outside world and Maugham subtly changes the structure of the writing. Kitty is still flawed and selfish, but she is also human, for which of us has not made mistakes and shown poor judgement at some point in our lives?

I have read the book now twice on my own and once with a Get Into Reading group and still find much to love about it. Sharing it with others, who admittedly at times struggled to see the advantage of reading it during the early chapters when it seemed to be a novel filled with privileged and shallow character, has made me cherish it more.

I would like to thank my Get Into Reading group members at the Lambeth Walk Group Practice for their inspiring reactions to the novel and their trust that it is a book worth sticking with. It is!

Over the past century life expectancy has dramatically increased, leading to a growing ageing population worldwide who face a number of distinct health challenges. The main issues for affecting older people’s health in all income groups over the world are noncommunicable diseases, which include heart disease, stroke and dementia – in 2010, there were 35.6 million people living with dementia globally and numbers are expected to double over the space of the next 20 years. Longer life expectancy also affects social structures and relationships and the need to increase participation in ‘age-friendly’ social environments has been identified by WHO as key for fostering good mental health and wellbeing amongst older people.

The Reader Organisation recognises the specific issues that affect the health of older people, and our important ongoing work with older people is helping to ensure that their levels of health, wellbeing and social participation are significantly improved as a result of regular shared reading. Our recent evaluation results for our Bupa Reader-in-Residence Pilot Project speak for themselves, but speaking volumes are the stories that come straight from the older people we work with.

TRO’s work with older people has also recently been highlighted by Living With Dementia, the monthly members magazine of the Alzheimer’s Society. Their March issue featured an article entitled ‘Reading for Pleasure’,  detailing the benefits of Get Into Reading in care home settings.

We’re spreading the benefits of shared reading even further amongst older people with the launch of our Merseyside Volunteer Reader Scheme, funded by the Big Lottery. Volunteers taking part in the project will be trained to take Get Into Reading to older people in care homes across Merseyside. We’re currently looking for volunteers in Wirral who may be experiencing mental ill health or unemployment to take part in the scheme as well as care homes in Wirral who want to run a volunteer-led reading group. For more information please visit our website or e-mail christinejohnson@thereader.org.uk

And because not only is today World Health Day, but also William Wordsworth’s 242nd birthday, what better way to celebrate than with a rather appropriate poem from the man himself…

Such Age, How Beautiful!

Such age, how beautiful! O Lady bright,
Whose mortal lineaments seem all refined
By favouring Nature and a saintly Mind
To something purer and more exquisite
Than flesh and blood; whene’er thou meet’est my sight,
When I behold thy blanched unwithered cheek,
Thy temples fringed with locks of gleaming white,
And head that droops because the soul is meek,
Thee with the welcome Snowdrop I compare;
That child of winter, prompting thoughts that climb
From desolation toward the genial prime;
Or with the Moon conquering earth’s misty air,
And filling more and more with crystal light
As pensive Evening deepens into night.

The Secrets and Words series is also being supported by BBC Skillswise, which is providing learners with an activity to participate with following each episode.  Tutors can also find classroom resources to stimulate discussion with regards to the issues raised.

The series was developed with the help of NIACE (National Institute of Adult Continuing Education), following on from the independent Inquiry into Adult Literacy it supported last year.  Sue Southwood, Programme Manager at NIACE and series consultant on Secrets and Words, comments:

There are still far too many people in this country coping with poor reading and writing skills that affect them on a daily basis. They are seriously disadvantaged as workers, parents and citizens.

Showing the lives of five ordinary people who, for various reasons, all share the same secret, is an inventive and original approach to reach adults who feel they are in a similar situation. This is where television proves that it’s not only entertaining, but that its influence can change lives for the better.

Not only do those who who read regularly have better life prospects than non-readers, research has shown they are also less socially isolated, happier, and healthier. We read aloud in our Get Into Reading groups so everyone, no matter their ability, is able to enjoy these benefits, not to mention share the sheer pleasure of reading aloud together.

The current issue of NIACE’s Adults Learning journal features an article about The Reader Organisation’s work, ‘Big Books: Small Marvels’, which movingly details some of the “remarkable” outcomes from Get Into Reading. Click here to read the full article.  

‘The Medicine Chest of the Soul’, a session chaired by Tim Joss, Director of the Rayne Foundation, featured Jane alongside author Jeanette Winterson, and the LSE’s David McDaid and Margaret Perkins. They discussed the healing power of literature and the role of the arts in substantially improving health and wellbeing, something that is an important aspect of TRO’s work .   

You can listen to the lively and compelling session here.

Tickets are now on sale for The Reader Organisation’s 3rd annual National Conference dedicated to sharing the message of our Reading Revolution: reading aloud together for pleasure.

Day One: Reading to Live Well
Thursday 17th May, 9am-5pm
Day Delegate Rate: £199

The first day of the conference is an information day aimed at commissioners, funders, and potential partners who want to understand ‘how’ and ‘why’ Get Into Reading works.

Highlights include:

• Dr Iona Heath, President of the Royal College of General Practioners, will be giving a keynote address on ‘Imagining the Patient: Literature and Medicine’
• Professor Jonathan Rose, a specialist historian on the book and reading at Drew University, in conversation with Jane Davis

More details about the programme and information about how to book your place are available on our website.

Day Two: Living to Read Well
Friday 18th May, 9.30am-5pm
Discounted day delegate rate: £99

*EXCLUSIVELY FOR SHARED READING FACILITATORS (those who have completed our Read to Lead training courses)*

This second (half price!) day is just for TRO trained facilitator. Highlights include:

• Award-winning poet Lemn Sissay in conversation with Jane Davis
• Practical sessions and masterclasses from TRO staff. 

More details about Day Two’s programme and how to book your place can be found on our website.

DAY ONE: Reading to Live Well

Thursday 17^th May, 9am – 5pm
£199 day delegate rate

Our keynote speakers have been confirmed:

• Dr Iona Heath, President of the Royal College of General Practitioners
• Jonathan Rose, Professor of History at Drew University (New Jersey, USA), internationally acclaimed specialist on the history of the book and reading

New to our work? Then this, the first day of our conference is for you: an information day aimed at commissioners, funders, potential partners and individuals who want to learn more about The Reader Organisation’s pioneering work improving the health and wellbeing of individuals and communities by reading aloud together. Impacts of our ‘Get Into Reading’ project include: increased personal confidence and reduced social isolation; improved mental well-being; enhanced emotional and psychological well-being, and a love of literature.

Tickets go on sale on Monday 12th March. Details will be available on our website. To register your interest now please email us with the words ‘Conference 2012′ in the subject box: info@thereader.org.uk

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More details about the speakers and programme for Day Two (Friday 18th May), ‘Living to Read Well’, which is for TRO trained facilitators only, will be announced here and on our website very soon. Tickets will also be available to buy from 12th March, and will cost £99. 

The article is available to view on the Press and Articles page on our website.

In the article, Jeanette suggests that we take a leaf out of the book of the organisers of the growing worldwide movement Occupy by reclaiming Valentine’s Day from its increasing commercialised and money-driven purposes and instead remember the reason behind it: love in all its forms, something that is not a commodity but instead an ‘alternative currency’ for everyone to enjoy.

This is the day to recognise love in every shape and size and disguise. Known love, new love, love’s ghosts, love’s hopes. Loss is here too, and the spaces in between love.

Reclaiming love is the best thing we can do. Love has been squatted for too long by those false cupids with their “for sale” signs. It’s not a coincidence that Venus is the goddess of love and money. Or that her fat friend with the arrows lends his name to desire of both kinds. Cupidity is the all-consuming longing for riches. Love and money are both an exchange.

Wise words indeed – and we’d also point out that reading is the perfect exchange, of love, friendship, community, so why not read something lovely with someone you love this Valentine’s Day? We could think of few better ways to reclaim love for its original purposes.

Jeanette will be appearing with director of The Reader Organisation Jane Davis at an event at this year’s LSE Space for Thought Literary Festival at the London School of Economics and Political Science on Wednesday 29th February 2012, 4.30-6pm. ‘The Medicine Chest of the Soul: Arts and Health’ will explore the substantial role the arts can play in improving health and wellbeing, especially the healing power of literature.

Director of the Rayne Foundation Tim Joss will be chairing the discussion and alongside contributions from Jane and Jeanette, other featured speakers are David McDaid, LSE senior research fellow in Health and Social Care and Margaret Perkins, research officer within the Personal Social Services Research Unit at LSE.

The event is part of the 4th annual Space for Thought Festival, this year with the theme of ‘Relating Cultures’. The festival runs from Wednesday 29th February-Saturday 3rd March and has a very varied programme featuring a range of star speakers including London Penny Readings guest AS Byatt, Claire Tomalin and Michael Rosen.

‘The Medicine Chest of the Soul: Arts and Health’ event is now fully booked, but check the LSE website for details on possible returns or changes or consider going to the venue on the day in case of last-minute empty seats.

Editor Frances Macmillan discusses how the book came into being – as well as giving Jane a mention.  Michael Rosen, whose essay about his childhood experience of reading Great Expectations with his father is included in the book, and Mark Haddon also feature.

You can take a listen to the podcast on the Vintage website.

Our Northern Ireland project worker Patricia Canning fills us in the ongoing progress of Get Into Reading Northern Ireland, highlighting the powerful impact words and literature have amongst a wide range of people:

Every Wednesday afternoon I read with a group of women who tell me that being a part of this Get Into Reading group makes them feel relaxed, ‘chilled’, less stressed, and on the whole, liberated. The irony is, that this GIR group is in Hydebank Prison, Belfast. Reading an extract from Dickens’s A Christmas Carol a few weeks back, the women talked about how his depiction of the biting cold had made them all feel very chilly: ‘he really knows how to describes things, doesn’t he? I’m freezing here!’

Being able to ‘feel’ what the writer is describing – even if it is the cold – is a testament to the power of words, and of the benefits of reading good literature. These women, like everyone else who benefits from attending Get Into Reading groups across the mainland, enjoy that liberating feeling of being able to identify with other characters, with events and with feelings and emotions that they might otherwise struggle to understand, articulate, or even acknowledge. Words can do that – as Ferdinand Pessoa puts it:

To express something is to conserve its virtue and take away its terror. Fields are greener in their description than in their actual greenness. Flowers, if described with phrases that define them in the air of the imagination, will have colours with a durability not found in cellular life.

Reading a difficult Shakespearean sonnet recently, one of the women read the line, ‘I all alone beweep my outcast state’, and proclaimed, ‘it’s about depression, isn’t it?’ In our group, Shakespeare has helped us understand that depression is a timeless phenomenon and can chance upon the best of us.

Thankfully, these benefits are reaching further afield because people are attending to the positive effects of shared reading here, as Health In Mind’s recent poetry and prose event at Coleraine library so wonderfully demonstrated. We now have a fantastic Get Into Reading group in Queen’s University, Belfast, every Thursday afternoon, which is well attended by a spirited bunch of people who read, chat, drink tea, chat, read, and marvel at the ways in which reading together enriches both the reading experience and our day in equal measure.

The Reading Revolution has begun in Northern Ireland, but we need passionate people who believe in the power of reading to help take it even further. We are hosting an open Read To Lead training course at Holywood Library over three weeks: Friday 3rd, 10th and 17th February 2012. If you want to share the joys of shared reading in your community, there are a few places left on the course. For further details and to book your place, please contact Jessica Reeves for more information: jessicareeves@thereader.org.uk