Sunday 6th December, 7pm at St George’s Hall

The sixth annual Penny Readings, hosted by The Reader Organisation will take place at 7pm on Sunday 6th December in the Small Concert Room in Liverpool’s magnificent St. George’s Hall.

A wonderful start to Christmas – like mulled wine for the soul.

This year, the Penny Readings will feature readings by Liverpool’s award-winning author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell Boyce.

In Dickens’ time public readings were the equivalent of a big music gig today – think Beyoncé at the Echo Arena – Dickens was a hot ticket! For the past six years, the Penny Readings has continued the tradition that Charles Dickens began in the 1840s, when he would travel around Liverpool reading to thousands of ordinary people and charging just one penny.

Previous years have included readings from actor and director Janet Suzman, actor Annabelle Dowler and poet Janet Joseph. The 2009 line-up is still under wraps (announcements coming soon), but it can be guaranteed that the fantastic live-readings will be combined with the usual exciting array of music and dance. All this and a good measure of festive cheer, still available at the rock-bottom price of one penny!

Tickets will be available for collection from 10am on Monday 16th November from both Liverpool Central Library (William Brown Street, Liverpool, L3 8EW, 2nd floor Helpdesk – 0151 232 5829 – ask for Mike Taylor or Janet Graham) and Birkenhead Central Library (Borough Rd, Birkenhead, CH41 2XB, Music Counter – 0151 652 6106 – ask for Susan Boote). But don’t forget to pay your penny on the night!

The ever-popular readings have repeatedly sold out well-short of demand in previous years, so those wishing to attend are advised to get their tickets early to avoid disappointment.

In addition, twenty tickets will be released on eBay on Friday 27th November, for those really keen to come and willing to bid away!

Get Into Reading National Conference
Friday 8th January, 9am – 5pm
Blackburne House, Liverpool, L8 7PE

This conference will be a fantastic opportunity for everyone involved with, or interested in, Get Into Reading, and to share your experiences of the project from within your organisation, area of the country, profession, or personal interest.

Speakers include: Blake Morrison (author and Chair of TRO), Susan Blishen (Mental Health Foundation), Dr David Fearnley (Medical Director and Deputy Chief of Mersey Care NHS Trust) and Dr Jane Davis (Director of TRO).

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*SPECIAL ADDITION*
Friday Night Supper
Friday 8th January 7 –10 pm

Join The Reader Organisation and some of our panellists and writers for a special Friday Night supper which will feature a conversation between TRO Director, Jane Davis and guests, as well as live music. Not to be missed.

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New Beginnings Readers’ Day
Saturday 9th January, 9.30am – 4pm
Blackburne House, Liverpool, L8 7PE

Join Tim Pears, Brian Keenan and Clare Allan and many more in thought-provoking workshops and discussions, on the theme of New Beginnings, for an inspiring day hosted by the BBC’s Roger Phillips.

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Tickets for all events are now on sale!

Book now for the full New Beginnings experience – Conference, Friday Supper and Readers’ Day – for only £100 until the end of November.

For more information about New Beginnings, please email Claire Speer or visit our website.

I am: yet what I am none cares or knows…

John Clare

Job Opportunity: GIR Project Worker

This is a dynamic and varied job requiring you to set-up, establish and facilitate weekly reading groups in order to promote well-being and good mental health, mainly, but not exclusively, for adults.

Read more about the job role and how to apply on our website.

Dr David Fearnley (left) receives his award

He also has a wider role as Medical Director and Deputy Chief Executive of Mersey Care NHS Trust, the specialist mental health trust for adults in Liverpool, Sefton and Kirkby. The Trust has around 10,000 people who use its services at any one time, most of them living and supported in the community.

David did his postgraduate studies in psychiatry in South Wales and moved to Merseyside in 1998 to train as a forensic psychiatrist before being appointed as consultant forensic psychiatrist at Ashworth in 2001. In August 2005 he was appointed medical director and deputy chief executive in 2007. He says:

I enjoy the challenge of management as well as my role as a clinician. I work closely with service users to improve our services and as part of a process which helps keep me focused on the right approach to take I involve service users and carers in my annual consultant appraisal.

David received his award at a prestigious ceremony at the Royal Society of Medicine in London, hosted by journalist and broadcaster Libby Purves, of The Times and Radio 4. He was nominated by Catherine Mills, Chair of the Service User and Carer Forum at Mersey Care, which represents the views of people who use mental health services.

Entrants for the award had to demonstrate they had made a positive impact at a national or local level to service user and carers’ wellbeing. They also had to show how they had improved the perception of mental health issues, encouraged change in the development of mental health policy, and been an accessible role model to the general public. David says:

I am delighted to be the first winner of this award. It is also recognition of some of the pioneering work we are doing here in Merseyside with in-patients and community-based service users. I am particularly proud of the success of our network of 27 therapeutic reading groups which we run in partnership with The Reader Organisation across all our services.

The book is a modern retelling of Othello, in which the Moor of Venice and his wife Desdemona are transformed into the South American equivalent of Posh and Becks.

Read more on the Guardian’s site.

The events are free but you will need to book tickets. Tickets are available from the Bluecoat (0151 702 5324 – or drop in to the box office) so do please book yours soon to ensure you and your book get a space!

Speed Date a Book

7.30-8.30pm, Thursday 15th October, in the bar at the Bluecoat – free!

For this event, The Reader Organisation is asking you to come along with your favourite book or poem and all the reasons why you love it to see if you can find your perfect reading match. We’re acting as the matchmaker, hosting ‘Speed Date a Book’ to bring together literary lovers to share their favourite reads, meet fellow readers and perhaps find that all important perfect partner, be it in text or human form.

Are you able to be there with your favourite read?

Join us in the bar at the Bluecoat from 7.30pm, armed with your favourite read (be it poem or novel) and get ready to tell people why it’s so great (and hopefully find a perfect match).

The Reading Cure: Chapter and Verse

7.30-8.30pm, Sunday 18th October, at the Bluecoat – free!

Join staff from The Reader Organisation for this free clinic, to solve your problems with the help of some of our greatest writers.

Are you worried about your job? Are you always getting into relationships with ‘that man’ who’s just no good for you? Are you desperate to share something joyful?

Come along to The Reading Cure clinic and discover how fiction really can help reality…

We’ve got 20,000 copies of The Savage by author David Almond and illustrator Dave McKean, to give away across Greater Merseyside as part of Liverpool Reads 2009.

Today, author of The Savage, David Almond, illustrator Dave McKean, Deputy Chief Fire Officer Mike Hagen and Director of The Reader Organisation, Jane Davis, along with trainee firefighters, will be helping to load up fire engines with free copies of this year’s Liverpool Reads book, The Savage, and begin the quest to get them to communities across Merseyside.

You can get your copy of The Savage from: all Greater Merseyside libraries (across Halton, Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St. Helens, Warrington and Wirral), Merseytravel bus stations and M2Go rail station shops, Waterstone’s (Bold Street and Liverpool ONE), News from Nowhere (Bold Street), Amorous Cat (Lark Lane), Starbucks (Bold Street) and all Liverpool Football Club Stores.

The Reader 35 ‘Starting the Reading Revolution’ contains a special editorial by Philip Davis, who writes ‘This is not simply a magazine any more, it is a campaign’.

Also in this issue:

• New poetry by Les Murray, Connie Bensley and Tom Paulin; and John Greening writes the latest in our ‘Poet on His Work’ series

• New fiction by Frank Cottrell Boyce and Richard Flanagan

• Essays by Catherine Pickstock on Tracey Emin, and Paul Kingsnorth of the Dark Mountain Project on the myths and stories that threaten our world

• The Reader Gets Angry a searing indictment of teacher-training in this country from Gabriella Gruder-Poni

• Interview with Liverpool composer Kenneth Hesketh

• Recommendations from Adam Phillips and Frank Cottrell Boyce

Buy your copy here. Or even better, subscribe here now and ensure that you don’t miss out on any of the forthcoming issues.

The Savage, written by David Almond and illustrated by Dave McKean has been chosen as the Liverpool Reads book for 2009. Liverpool Reads is a book bonanza – a city-wide initiative, coordinated by us encouraging the reading and sharing of one book each year – launching a week today!

The Savage is a uniquely presented, touching tale of grief, solace and hope from a master of contemporary storytelling and a visionary artist. David Almond, acclaimed author of Skellig – a children’s novel recently adapted into a major drama for Sky television – is a Whitbread Children’s award winner and was short-listed for the Carnegie Medal for The Fire-Eaters.

This year there are 20,000 copies of The Savage (published by Walker Books) to give away across the whole of Greater Merseyside. The Savage will be available for you to collect from 15th September from: all Merseyside libraries (across Halton, Liverpool, Knowsley, Sefton, St. Helens, Warrington and Wirral), Merseytravel bus stations and M2Go rail station shops, Waterstone’s (Bold Street and Liverpool ONE), News from Nowhere (Bold Street), Amorous Cat (Lark Lane), Starbucks (Bold Street) and all Liverpool Football Club Stores. Get there quick to get yours!

Director of The Reader Organisation, Jane Davis, says:

The Savage may be the boldest choice of book we’ve made for Liverpool Reads. It’s a graphic novel, it’s a children’s book, but also a book for adults. It’s a book to share with your family – read it aloud, or to take it to work and talk it over with your workmates. We’re very excited about bringing 20,000 free copies of The Savage to Merseyside. Make sure one copy has your name on it.

David Almond, author of The Savage spoke of his delight about being involved in the project:

I was really thrilled when I heard that The Savage had been chosen for Liverpool Reads. It’s a groundbreaking project – imaginative, creative, optimistic and wonderfully democratic – and it’s a great honour to be part of it. The Savage is in many ways my favourite of all my books, not least because it is my first collaboration with the visionary artist Dave McKean. I hope that the people of Liverpool enjoy it!

Dave McKean, illustrator, says:

It’s a wonderful initiative, encouraging people to read is always welcome, but getting everyone to read the same book so they can talk to each other about it and share their own thoughts on the story is particularly inspired.

Throughout the Liverpool Reads project, we’ll be reading the book aloud in Get Into Reading groups, where people across Merseyside communities will be able to share their thoughts and feelings on The Savage together.

We’ll be reading it with older people, asking how the book makes us feel about young people. We’ll be reading it with young people, asking what the book makes us feel about fear, love and creativity.

There are plenty of ways you can get involved and find out more, which will be on our website once Liverpool Reads has launched: .

An exhibition of Dave McKean’s original artwork from The Savage will be on show at the Bluecoat from 15th September – 31st October 2009. Books will be available until they’re all snapped up!

For more information email liverpoolreads@thereader.org.uk or call 0151 794 2830.