Woolf, Francesco’s reading aloud ‘prescriptions’
coverloss,love,natureandmuchinbetween.
Readingaloud,Francescobelieves,canserveasa
formofmindfulnessandoffersasimplewayforus
to create more ‘human moments’ (a term coined by
US psychiatrist Edward Hallowell) into our
increasingly digitally-distracted lives – starting in
our own living rooms. For couples, swapping a night
in front of the telly to read passages of a new title
together,aloud,couldintroduceanintimatenew
ritual of togetherness, no babysitter required.
“The physical presence of the person you read to,
orwhoreadstoyou,inasmall,intimatesetting
anchorsyoutothehereandnow,”writesFrancesco.
“Taketenminutesoff,sitdownwithsomebodyyou
care about and share a passage of writing: you will
both feel more relaxed and connected, as if you had
spenttwohourstogetherinaspa.”UTTERED BLISS
It’sapracticebearingfruit.Atacommunitycentre
inShropshire,agroupofadultsmeetsonceaweek
to read together over tea and biscuits. The sessions
arerunbyGPHelenWillows,whohaswitnessed
remarkablechangesinpersonalconfidencewithin
herworkwithschoolchildren,theelderlyand
vulnerable women as volunteer for The Reader
(thereader.org.uk). Set up in 2008, the charity uses
thepracticeofreadingaloudanddiscussionasa
meanstostrengthencommunities.
“Reading aloud takes you somewhere else,” says
Helen, who’s currently reading her nine-year-old’s
Grandpa’s Great Escapeby David Walliams and cites
MiroslavHolub’s‘TheDoor’asago-topoemto
counterabluemood.“You’reimmersedinthe
momentofthestoryandpartofthemagicisthatit
leaves problems and pains behind. Sometimes
readingonyourown,you’reinaracetofinish.
Readingaloudtogether,youareappreciatingthe
craftanditfeelslikeyou’relivingthestory.”SHARING IS KEY
If a reading-aloud revolution is afoot, we might need
toputourphonesonsilent.Aspartofacurrent
studybytheUniversityCollegeofLondonintoadult
readingaloudpracticesinBritain,160peoplewere
askedtokeepajournaloftheirweeklyhabits.Half
ofrespondentssaidtheyreadwithchildren,yetthe
most prevalent practice, at 116, was reading aloud ‘as
partofengagementwiththenewsorsocialmedia’.Around a third of participants were tuned into
audiobooks, ref lecting the growing demand for
on-the-move storytelling. Sales of audio books have
doubled over the past five years and it’s become the
fastest growing sector of publishing. When you can
pass a commute to Stephen Fry’s narration of
Sherlock Holmes or do some gardening to Big Magic
as read by Elizabeth Gilbert herself, it’s little
wonder we can still keep our nose in a book. Can
audio storytelling, then, offer us a version of the
‘human moment’ we might be so in need of?
Francesco Dimitri isn’t convinced. “I think
audiobooks are fantastic, but that bond is not there,”
he says. “Reading aloud is about sharing a moment
with a real person in the real world, which creates a
real bond between two or more people.”MAKING IT WORK
Unless you’re already reading this aloud (keep
going!), it’s natural to find the idea a curious or
uncomfortable one. Don’t worry about any
“momentary weirdness”, says Meghan Cox
Gurdon, author of The Enchanted Hour (Piatkus).
The important thing is to start.
“Choose a time that suits everyone – for children,
it might be bedtime; with adults, reading may be
most congenial over a glass of wine,” says Meghan.
“When the chosen time comes, turn off your
technology, pick up a book or magazine and go. If
you manage ten minutes the first time, hurrah! Do
the same thing again the next day, and the next, and
presto – you’re enjoying a daily dose of enchantment.”
When you’re feeling confident, you could host a
‘Reading Aloud Party’ (there’s an extract you can cut
out, opposite, and, over the page, suggestions for
texts to try), volunteer with The Reader or simply
lend a voice to a friend over lunch. Your new wellbeing
ritual could be sitting as close as your bedside table.IT’S (^) ABOUT (^) S
HARING A^
MOMENT WITH (^) A REAL
PERSON, FACE^ TO^ FA
CE
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THINK (^) | WELLBEING