THERE’S a chance to share the love of reading, at a new group led by borough poet Fiona Dignan.
Wokingham Library is hosting the weekly club for people to sit back, relax, and enjoy hearing great stories and poems read aloud.
“It’s a great opportunity to connect through literature,” Fiona Dignan said.
“We’re a group of diverse humans, chatting about stories, poems, and novels, and generally discussing life together.”
There is no pressure for anyone to read aloud themselves, or to share thoughts, and people are invited to ponder privately if they prefer.
“It’s for anyone and everyone that’s free on a Tuesday lunchtime,” Ms Dignan continued.
“They may be no longer working, in between jobs, mums with babies, on maternity leave, or just popping in during their lunch hour.”
Ms Dignan says that reading aloud is good for mental health.
“An extract from Katherine May’s Wintering recently resonated with the group,” she said.
“We’ve also enjoyed The Tunnel, a short story from Dorris Lessing, and Mary Oliver’s Wild Geese, which made us feel empowered.
“It doesn’t matter whether you’ve read all your life, or you haven’t picked up a book in years.
“You’ll find a great welcome here.”
Ms Dignan is leading the group, as a volunteer for The Reader, a national charity that aims to bring people together through great literature.
The organisation says that many people today don’t have the time, concentration or wish to read, but that literature can connect individuals, help readers to feel better, and boost social bonds.
The Shared Reading Group will meet at Wokingham Library every Tuesday, from 12.15pm until 1.45pm.
For more information, email libraries@wokingham.gov.uk
Details of the charity can be found at: www.thereader.org.uk
