Can a Book Save Your Life? at Folkestone Book Festival

Our Literary Learning Manager Casi Dylan is keeping busy spreading the Reading Revolution - not only will she be sharing the power of reading Charles Dickens aloud at the Dickens Readers Day in Lancaster, but just a couple of days later she's appearing as part of a panel event at the Folkestone Book Festival, with the thought-provoking title of 'Can a Book Save Your Life?'

The discussion, taking place at University Centre Folkestone, Canterbury Christ Church University at 6pm on Tuesday 6th November, will see a panel of authors, academic, journalists - and readers - come together to examine the importance and power of books for readers and writers alike.

Every week, Get Into Reading groups provide connection through great literature - with books themselves, but also to other people. Shared reading includes benefits such as increased personal confidence, reduced social isolation and strengthened community bonds and improved emotional wellbeing - and for some people, can come as an important lifeline, helping to rebuild lives and prompt new aspirations. Literature can often provide new ways and perspectives for thinking about life, which is certainly the case with Read to Lead, which Casi has played an integral role in since 2008, enabling over 600 people to run shared reading groups in their own communities.

Casi will be joining Dr Carolyn Oulton (Director of the BA (Hons) in Creative and Professional Writing at Canterbury Christ Church University and Co-Director of the International Centre for Victorian Women Writers), Julian Baggini (author, philosopher and journalist) and Vitali Vitaliev (author, writer and researcher) for this lively, enlightening discussion.

The event is free but booking is required. For more information, see the Folkestone Book Festival and Canterbury Christ Church University websites, or call 01303 760600.