‘A magical blend of amazing texts and heartfelt contributions’ Shared Reading in Conwy, North Wales 

Library assistant Steve Stratford is one of nine staff at Conwy Libraries in North Wales who have been trained to run groups by the UK’s largest Shared Reading charity, The Reader. He describes how it has made a huge difference in boosting the confidence of group members – and his own. 

Ex-journalist Steve Stratford has been a Library Assistant at Conwy Library for eight years.  

Two years ago he was one of nine colleagues at Conwy Libraries to train as ‘Reader Leaders’ with national Shared Reading charity The Reader. 

Weekly and fortnightly groups are now held across the county at five Area Libraries in Abergele, Conwy, Colwyn Bay, Llandudno and Llanrwst – all led by staff and a volunteer at Llandudno Library. 

Groups are free and open to everyone offering a welcoming, inclusive and non-judgmental space where local people can connect and share experiences using stories and poems. There is no pressure to talk or read aloud.   

The Reader is the UK’s biggest Shared Reading charity and runs more than 490 Shared Reading groups across the country, including 112 in libraries. 

Steve’s group is based in the quaint historic harbourside town of Conwy, famous for its medieval fortress, Conwy Castle. A tourism hotspot, it attracts around nine million visitors a year and is a gateway to Eryri (Snowdonia) National Park. 

Conwy Library is located inside Conwy Culture Centre, next to the historic medieval town walls.  

This multi-purpose building opened in 2019 and the space is shared with the County Archive and Museum Service and Cantîn café, as well as a popular community space - home to classes ranging from Buddhist meditation to the ancient Chinese martial art of Tai Chi and author talks, including a recent event with bestselling North Wales-based crime writer Simon McCleave. There is even a communal sensory garden where local people can come and grow plants and herbs. 

Steve’s Shared Reading group runs every fortnight on a Friday between 2pm and 3.30pm. Steve said:

“Many of the participants are of retirement age and they get on like a house on fire. It’s a lovely group; they are friends through Shared Reading. There is a lot of joking and laughter.  

“We’ve had a couple of men come to the group, including a gentleman who was blind. He had moved from Manchester and had heard of Shared Reading. He enjoyed listening to the stories. 

“I love doing it – it’s so fantastic connecting with people through books. We read a bit of text and then stop and start, share our feelings and have a cup of tea. You get to know people – that's the joy of literature.” 

The former reporter and editor, who previously worked on the region’s regional newspaper, said he has always loved words and books. As both a library assistant and group leader it was rewarding for him to see people grow in confidence through Shared Reading. 

He said: “I think Shared Reading is a fantastic idea. Sometimes people lack confidence to approach larger books because they don’t think they can but approaching a novel as a group where there is no pressure to talk or read aloud can really help people come into themselves and develop their confidence. I have seen that happen over the two years I've been running this group. 

“It has also really helped my own confidence grow as initially I was not used to talking in front of a group. The group is a bit of a social and the whole group has grown in confidence. Sometimes people don’t like the sound of their own voice.  

“One lady, in particular, has blossomed in confidence over the last year. She never used to say much but at one of our sessions when I asked if anyone else would like to read an extract of the story she said ‘yes’ which was a big step forward.  

“Another time a text prompted a breakthrough for one of our regular group members. She was reflecting on her own relationship with her dad. When she was younger, she said she used to think he was controlling but the story had made her reassess her feelings. It was quite a personal memory which she felt confident to share with friends.” 

Steve said the group enjoy “a self-contained story with an ending” but he likes to challenge the group with bold texts and poetry. 

He said: “We all really enjoyed reading a chapter of Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein which was very different to how they’d imagined. It was beautifully written from ‘the creature’s’ point of view in a thoughtful and sensitive way and was not what you had in mind after all the Hollywood remakes. It had a big impact on the group who couldn’t believe it was written by an 18-year-old. 

“Poetry can be quite daunting for people in everyday life. I always make sure we read every week even if people don’t have a lot to say. A recent one, Alone by Siegfried Sassoon, really resonated with the group. It was about loneliness from the perspective of being a widow.

On a personal level it also helped me as I had not long lost my dad, and it gave me an insight into what it was like for my mum. 

“We meet in a community room off the main library but in other libraries – for instance at Llandudno - groups meet in the main library space. It’s a nice thing for people to see Shared Reading as part of the library experience. 

“Libraries have moved on considerably – they are no longer places where you’re expected to be quiet. We have a very loud Storytime with up to 20 prams, plus arts and crafts for children – which is great to see. Our libraries are lively multi-generational spaces for everyone.” 

Sharon Morgan, Interim Section Head for Culture, Information and Libraries, Conwy, said: “Shared Reading is a well-established part of Conwy Library Service’s reading offer.

The shared understanding and trust developed by reading and discussion has created a sense of belonging within each group and contributed towards the participants' wider support networks and friendships. 

It is a magical blend of amazing texts and heartfelt contributions.” 

For further information visit The Reader’s Shared Reading in Communities page here and to find out more about Shared Reading at Conwy Library Service visit conwylibraries.com or call 01492 576139.