The Reader: Stuart’s Story, Shared Reading Groups

The Reader is a national charity that uses the power of literature and reading aloud to transform lives. Their Shared Reading movement is led by volunteers and partners who focus on bringing great literature to communities across the UK. Stuart has been attending a Shared Reading group in West London for over 10 years.

When Stuart first attended one of The Reader’s Shared Reading groups, he didn’t expect to enjoy it – but he was a carer at the time, and desperately needed to meet new people.

“To my surprise, I found I had a lot to say and I realised that I had quite a lot of life experience. I was getting the stories and it wasn’t frustrating… it’s magical how a group of people can bring meaning from our different perspectives, and I have mine.

Through the group I’ve developed a love of Shakespeare. And what I’ve found reading Shakespeare is that you don’t need to do it like they did at school, you can just go with the sweep, get the feeling of it… It’s not just coming, reading a story, going home and forgetting about it, it’s with me for a week, or longer, or forever!”

Stuart says Shared Reading is sheer enjoyment: fun, therapeutic, inspiring.

Read more about Stuart’s experience with The Reader by clicking here: Stuart’s Reader Story “It’s helped me be happy”