April’s Monthly Stories and Poems

Our year of Wonder with The Reader Bookshelf 2024-25 is coming to a close – though we won’t be putting this year’s books away for good – so to celebrate, and to keep ourselves wondering a little bit longer, this month we are drawing inspiration from a range of texts from Wonder, or ones connected to it.

We’ve chosen some of the most popular picks, as well as some texts which we think are well worth revisiting. There’s plenty of Wonder in store – from exploring new and unusual lands, going on perilous adventures, meeting mysterious creatures to navigating newly-forming relationships, April’s stories and extracts promise much in the way of rich discussions for Shared Reading groups.

April’s stories and extracts are:

Troublesome accidents (extract from Gulliver’s Travels) by Jonathan Swift

Couldn’t we pretend? (extract from Little Boy Lost) by Marghanita Laski

A chance of happiness (extract from Pride and Prejudice) by Jane Austen

The One Place You Must Not Go (extract from Impossible Creatures) by Katherine Rundell

The day is like any other (extract from Foster) by Claire Keegan

This month’s poetry selections reflect how Wonder can be found in many places, and even at times when we would not expect it or indeed be actively looking for it. From small moments and apparently simple gestures, to much wider scale explorations of the past and looking ahead into the future, there is plenty on offer to take us on many wondrous journeys.

As April is the birthday month of the Bard, we’re including one of his Sonnets – which we’ll be taking a closer look at a Shakespeare’s Sonnets Wellbeing Workshop at the Mansion House at Calderstones on Saturday 19 April.

The Future by Les Murray

A Green Crab’s Shell by Mark Doty

Sonnet 94 by William Shakespeare

A Letter from Brooklyn by Derek Walcott

Broad and yellow is the evening light by Anna Akhmatova (translated by Judith Hemschemeyer)

If you're a Reader Leader head to the Online Community Hub to download this month's selection.