The Reading Revolution in North Wales

We're delighted to say that shared reading is spreading even further across the UK - new projects are getting underway in South London and shortly, in Wiltshire - and The Reader Organisation is settling into one of its new bases in North Wales, where we've been working on our Big Lottery Wales funded project to develop Get Into Reading across the region. Since this September, the first of our shared reading groups have been running in North Wales, in both English and Welsh speaking groups. They're heading up the Reading Revolution in North Wales, and within 3 years we will establish over 30 groups assisted by over 70 volunteers.

Each week we're reading with people of all ages across North Wales, offering great literature read aloud to adults and children. One of our weekly groups is in Colwyn Bay Library, where we recently took part in Welsh Libraries 'Get Reading, Get Better, Get Libraries' event. Take a look at how our shared reading taster session at the library helped people at Colwyn Bay to feel better for a morning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SUzmu65ReVk&w=560&h=315

If you're in North Wales, then you can enjoy some shared reading on a weekly basis with our Llais a Llfyr/Make Friends With A Book groups in libraries across Wales, including Colwyn Bay Library (Thursdays, 3.30-5pm), Buckley Library (Mondays, 12.30-2pm) and Rhyl Library (Thursdays, 1.30-3pm), where in recent weeks we've been enjoying stories including The Yellow Wallpaper by Charlotte Perkins Gilman, Nightingale by Tobias Woolf and something spooky by Bram Stoker (during a rather windswept and watery day...!).

All groups are free to attend, and you can enjoy a story and some poems with good company, biscuits and tea. One of our group members in Rhyl has already been noticing the benefits of shared reading as a highlight of her week, saying:

"It's a hiatus of calm in my day"

Take a look at the days and times of all the Make Friends With A Book groups that are currently running on our Reading With Us group map: http://www.thereader.org.uk/reading-with-us.aspx

You can find out more about our North Wales project on our website, by liking The Reader Organisation North Wales on Facebook or giving a follow on Twitter: @TheReaderNWales