JULIANE ROEMHILD: The pandemic may be officially over, but its effects continue to reverberate: One in three people feel lonely, and one in six experience severe loneliness and mental health services are more stretched than ever.
It takes a certain amount of optimism to consider reading groups as an antidote to the seismic shock of the lockdowns and anxieties of the pandemic. Yet, the findings of our research suggest that shared reading groups, where people from all walks of life meet regularly to read and discuss literature, can provide the kind of meaningful social connections necessary to alleviate loneliness.
In shared reading, small groups of people read aloud short stories and poetry under the guidance of a trained facilitator, who gently steers the conversation to encourage deeper conversations about life, emotions and personal experience.
Not quite a book club or a self-help group, shared reading unites the best of both. It can take place in a variety of settings: libraries, community houses, care homes, prisons, hospitals and schools. The aim is to reconnect people with themselves and others, thereby nurturing wellbeing and social inclusion. It is widely established in the UK and a growing initiative in Australia.
In shared reading, literature works as a springboard to talk about life, compare experiences and share memories in a safe and inclusive space. The effects are nothing short of astounding. Research into shared reading has shown its capacity to combat loneliness, alleviate depression, lower anxiety and even help with chronic pain.
Since 2022 Sara James (Senior Lecturer in Sociology, La Trobe University) have assembled a small team of researchers and I have run a range of pilot projects of community Shared Readings groups in Melbourne and Bendigo. We have partnered with a hospital, libraries, a community house, an aged home and the Victorian Mental Illness Awareness Council (VMIAC). We surveyed 35 participants and conducted 26 follow-up interviews.
Although our participants differed in age, social background, mental and physical health and cultural identity, the most salient feature was that they came to feel a deep sense of social connection and improved wellbeing. In fact, almost all of the surveyed participants said the group had made them feel better, while the majority found it helped them relate to others in a deeper way.
As one participant said:
Shared Reading “will open up a world to your own feelings and views […] and expand that beyond your expectations […] as a group you have that cross-fertilization of emotions, feelings, experiences. […] It is amazing what it will do for your own mental wellbeing, your own intellectual stimulation and your sense of engagement with your fellow human being.”
If you are interested in our work, feel free to listen to listen to Sara James talk about Shared Reading on RN Drive or take a look at the findings of our research.
Australian Reception Network 