Toni Morrison said, “Reading is solitary, but that’s not its only life. It should have a talking life, a discourse that follows.” Join Delilah Deane Cummings and Catherine Sheldrick Ross for an evening in which we share some research about reading for pleasure and invite participants to talk about a book that is special to them.
Delilah worked at London Public Library for many years, in the Children’s Library and in Community Outreach. One of the most appealing aspects of her work was the opportunity to talk with readers – of all ages – and exchange ideas about favourite books and authors. She loves reading–-and talking with other readers. Catherine has been involved for many years in a research program to understand pleasure reading from the perspective of the reader. Together Catherine and her graduate students at Western have interviewed over 300 avid readers to find out how they experience pleasure reading. These interviewed readers provided fascinating stories in response to such questions as: What was the first book you can remember from childhood that was either read to you or that you read yourself? How do you choose books for leisure reading? What is the role of pleasure reading in your life? Has there ever been a book that has made a big difference to you in one way or another? How do you feel about rereading? Do you enjoy alternate formats for reading such as eBooks and audiobooks? These interviews have provided material for research articles and two recent books: The Pleasures of Reading: A Booklover’s Alphabet (2014) and Reading Still Matters (2018).
Join in the talk about books and reading. You will hear some insights from the reading research and you will also have a chance to share a book that is special to you and to hear what other readers say about pleasure reading.
