Why read?

A centre recently opened at the University of Liverpool with just this question in mind: The Centre for Research into Reading, Information and Linguistic Systems. The Director is Prof Philip Davis, editor of The Reader magazine, and the Centre will research the impact of reading on health--it looks at the effects of shared reading, reading in prisons, the role of reading in treating mental illness and much more besides. We look forward to following its progress.

Pratichi Trust

We were pleased to visit the Pratichi Trust in Santiniketan, West Bengal. They've sent us pictures of books that they're sending out to children in schools in rural West Bengal. They have a festival of books, of books by and for children. They do much wonderful work, including helping children to start to love reading books.

The 20 most beautiful bookstores in the world

Someone thought we'd like these pictures of the 20 most beautiful bookstores in the world. Thank you, Dawn. We do!

The tactile pleasures of a book...

The author, Clay McLeod Chapman, has written this for us.

"No e-reader will ever usurp the tactile pleasures of a book. A book you can pick up, feel the weight of when you hold it in your hands—even sense the slight breeze when you flip through its pages. I'll take that simple joy over the digital blips of an iBook any day..."

Clay McLeod Chapman is the creator of the rigorous storytelling session The Pumpkin Pie Show. He is the author of REST AREA, a collection of short stories, and MISS CORPUS, a novel, published by Hyperion books. He teaches writing at The Actors Studio MFA Program at Pace University.

Currently, he is writing a trilogy of children's novels titled THE TRIBE--book one, HOMEROOM HEADHUNTERS, is slated to hit the shelves in 2013, published by Hyperion books. And his short film HENLEY is about to screen at this year's Sundance Film Festival.

http://www.amazon.com/Clay-McLeod-Chapman/e/B001KHHLNG

www.pumpkinpieshow.com

Thanks, Clay.

Slightly Foxed

Another excellent place with whom we have an affinity--Slightly Foxed-- has written very warmly about us. Thank you, Slightly Foxed. And all good things to you in the New Year.

The Reader org

The excellent Reader org has blogged about Give a Book. Thank you so much. They have a saying on their website: "You need it, you just don't need it." We're sure we have a natural affinity.

Give a Book for Christmas

The always admirable National Literacy Trust has just published one of their dismaying reports about declining literacy standards and the correlation between literacy and having books in the home. 1 in 3 UK homes have no books. That's 3.8 million children who don't have a book of their own. We can all help them in their work to change this by going here to help give the gift of reading for Christmas.