Issue 74 of The Reader Magazine is out now

The latest edition of The Reader Magazine is ready for you to feast your eyes on! 

Issue 74 explores the theme of ‘inside’ – both literally (because nothing beats curling up with a good book somewhere cosy!) and as a term to describe life in the criminal justice system. 

You’ll find stories from two decades of our Shared Reading groups in criminal justice centres around the UK and Ireland, where we believe literature has helped people connect with, and make sense of, their inner lives. 

Erwin James, editor-in-chief of Inside Time who served 20 years of a mandatory life sentence in prison, shares his Rediscovered Read (no spoilers!) and we chat to Luke Billingham from Haven Distribution, an organisation that provides prisoners with the books they need to survive their time inside. 

We also speak to three poets – Rob Cowen, Romalyn Ante and Andrew McMillan – who’ve recently published new collections of poetry in an attempt to reconcile and transform the tumultuous personal and collective experiences of the past year. 

As ever, you’ll find an array of readerly recommendations for adults and children, as well as poetry and literature from writers including Jackie Kay, Lemn Sissay, Charles Dickens, David Constantine and many more. 

You can buy copies of The Reader magazine online, in our shop in Calderstones Park in Liverpool or at a number of independent shops around the world.

If you’re interested in subscribing to the magazine, make the most of our autumn subscription offer, where you can receive three issues for the price of two. Find out more here – offer ends 31 October 2021.