‘A life changing business’: Stephen Fry on reading aloud

The art of reading aloud was explored by Stephen Fry in a fascinating programme on BBC Radio 4 yesterday - and Founder and Director of The Reader Organisation Jane Davis along with some of our Readers in Liverpool were featured speaking about the power and special quality of reading aloud.

In Greek and Roman times, reading silently was frowned upon - the skill of reading aloud was much prized amongst the finest in society and the Romans could even be described as the predecessors of shared reading, gathering to read aloud in groups. Fry's English Delight took listeners on a journey through the history of reading aloud, which amongst other gems told us that for over a third of the 21 centuries that have passed reading aloud was the most common form of reading and that authors such as Tennyson, Charles Dickens and Jane Austen were particular fans of reading aloud: Austen would 'road test' the drafts of her novels, including Pride and Prejudice, by reading and having her family reading them aloud.

The Reader Organisation connects people with great literature and through reading aloud in our regular shared reading groups in the UK, and the programme visited us at one of our groups in Liverpool while they read Silas Marner by George Eliot. Readers including Damian, who went for years with undiagnosed bipolar disorder, and Louise, who has Asperger's syndrome, spoke about how reading aloud has affected them, using terms such as 'addictive' and referring to the stories and poems that are read as 'a bright light shining in the darkness'. When the words of great writers are read aloud we are not only attuned to their beauty but are exposed to the value of great minds and thinking, which can act to make us emotionally stronger.

The question of whether people might be put off by the apparent performative nature of reading aloud is something dismissed in our shared reading groups, as the informal and relaxed atmosphere allows people to choose to read only if they want to, letting people be themselves. As Jane says, reading aloud is one of the most democratic forms of communication, with everybody able to get something out of it.

The programme also featured speakers including Professor John Mullan of University College, London, who provided insights into the greats of literature and their skills of reading aloud - giving even experts in the field something to learn. 10 year old Ben, who started and rounded off the programme, spoke about how he thinks it's every parent's duty to read aloud to their children - a reader to watch for the future! Stephen Fry himself was in praise of the art, saying:

"Reading aloud and being read to can be a deeply affecting, life changing business."

With readers like Damian and Louise as well as many more benefitting from the power of reading aloud, we can attest to this.

If you missed the broadcast of Fry's English Delight you can listen again on the website: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b04dk84m