ANTONIA VOGLER: Shared Reading is a special form of book club. A ‘Reader Leader’ guides sessions in which short stories, book excerpts and poems are read aloud on site and discussed (Shared Reading, n.d.). The discussion focuses on personal feelings and associations with the text (rather than, for example, the author or period of the work being discussed) (Shared Reading, n.d.). The Reader, its UK founding organisation, offers Shared Reading in a variety of settings including libraries, community centres, retirement homes, prisons, clinics and more (Shared Reading, n.d.; International Shared Reading, n.d.). The practice has been associated with improved mental health and reduced loneliness among participants (Billington et al., 2023; Reader Stories, n.d.).
My PhD research aims to better understand how this unfolds during the sessions, using conversation analysis. The first few session transcripts are now coming in and confirm that I am dealing with a strikingly unique form of discourse.
Conversation analysts distinguish between ‘institutional’ and ‘ordinary’ interactions (White, 2020, p. 212). Institutional interactions are guided by instructions, which are sometimes invisible to outsiders (Arminen, 2000, p. 436). My research into the role of Reader Leaders in Shared Reading practices has shown me how institutional and everyday (‘ordinary’) discourse can be intertwined. This entanglement may be what makes Shared Reading such an effective intervention.
Reader Leaders receive training that clearly outlines the values they are expected to embody in their role, such as being courageous and responding to group members with kindness and compassion (Role Description, n.d., The Reader, n.d.). However, there seems to be considerable autonomy in how these values are applied in practice. Reader Leaders need to be able to make independent decisions while still meeting the standards set by the institution.
My hypothesis is that the values that are instilled in the Reader Leader’s behaviour through training will strongly influence how group members experience Shared Reading and the dynamics of the reading group. In this way, The Reader’s institutional values may contribute significantly to the positive impact of Shared Reading reported by both the Reader and academics (Billington, 2019; Reader Stories, n.d.). Looking at the participant testimonies that The Reader has published on its website, a number of patterns emerge. What is striking is that the accounts describe the Shared Reading experience as taking place in a relaxed, positive atmosphere that helps to open up and connect with other group members (Reader Stories, n.d.). The strong sense of community that can be felt in such a group setting is a recurring theme – as is the fact that different perspectives can broaden one’s horizons and help to emphasise with others (Reader Stories, n.d.).
I want to find out how institutional values in particular are manifested in the discourse by Reader Leaders. In doing so, I hope to contribute to a better understanding of this practice, which is gaining popularity and spreading across Europe through institutions similar to The Reader (International Shared Reading, n.d.; Über uns, n.d. Home, n.d.).
Read more about the context of Antonia’s project here: https://shard-project.com/en/.
References
Arminen, I. (2000). On the Context Sensitivity of Institutional Interaction. Discourse & Society, 11(4), 435–458. https://doi.org/10.1177/0957926500011004001
International Shared Reading. (n.d.). The Reader. Retrieved 12 November 2024, from https://www.thereader.org.uk/shared-reading-wwd/international-shared-reading/
The Reader. (n.d.). Read to Lead Course Handbook.
Über uns. (n.d.). Sharing Stories. Retrieved 7 October 2023, from https://www.sharing-stories.org/ueber-uns
White, A. E. C. (2020). Authority and camaraderie: The delivery of directives amongst the ice floes. Language in Society, 49(2), 207–230. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0047404519000721
Australian Reception Network 