Silver Sound 28 April 2017: Books, Books and More Books

“I do believe that something very magical can happen when you read a good book.”

J K Rowling

Today’s show was inspired by World Book Night which was on 23 April 2017. World Book Night is a national celebration of reading and books. Books are given out throughout the UK with a focus on reaching those who don’t regularly read.

Our guests were Helen Hart, Publishing Director of Silverwood Books in Bristol which offers assisted publishing services for self published authors who wish to publish to a professional standard. Helen has also recently set up the SBooks imprint, which commissions short fiction from authors.

Also in the studio was Vicky Hough of the Reader Engagement Team, Bristol Libraries. Vicky told us about all the amazing things Bristol Libraries are doing to help people to get the most out of reading. These include a Harry Potter night, and the Summer Reading Challenge for children, who are encouraged to read and review six books over the holiday.

18th Century Reading Technology - a Reading Chair

A recent initiative is the shared reading projects run by the charitable social enterprise The Reader, which aims to bring groups of people together for weekly reading groups. Groups will be set up in libraries across Bristol, particularly Southmead, Filwood, and St Pauls or Hillfields Libraries. Reading groups are a great way to socialise with other people – and reading is good for your mental health and well being too! Volunteers are sought to help run the groups. To find out more follow the link below.

We considered questions such as: why read? What are the benefits of reading? And with so many other forms of entertainment and information to choose from – TV, internet, radio – why choose books?

We also talked about books that had changed our lives or had a huge influence on us – Vicky mentioned Julian Barnes’s The Sense of an Ending and Helen The Chimp Paradox by Professor Steve Peters, which she is currently reading. We also made a confession about our “great unread” books – the books you’ve always been meaning to read but never have. Mine is Don Quixote by Miguel de Cervantes – no matter how many times I’ve tried I cannot get past the first few chapters. You can find out how our studio guests answered and listen to the show again at http://bcfmradio.com/silversound

We were, as usual, joined by George Moss, who told us about a scheme he was involved in some years ago when adults went into schools to read to children. Gerard gave us one of his fiendish quizzes with a bookish theme.

Find out more:-

PS Not bookish – but I also gave information about an event coming up between 1 and 3 June 2017 – the Bristol Quilters Quilt Fest, a Textile Exhibition at Badminton School, Westbury Road, Bristol BS9 3BA. Visit www.bristolquilters.com for further information.

If you missed the show first time round, you can listen to it here (10 am to 11 am)

http://bcfmradio.com/silversound

Silver Sound is broadcast by BCfm Radio 93.2 fm between 10 am and mid day on Thursdays and Fridays. I’ll be back on the show on 2 June 2017.

Picture Credit: Reading Chair - Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, Public Domain Images

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