Drawing People Into Reading by Allison Symes

Image Credit:  Mainly via Book Brush using Pixabay photos. One image from me.

I remember years ago being at a Book Fair when someone walked past, looked at my table and said loudly to their friend, “I don’t like books”.  I so wanted to say “what are you doing here then” but judged it best not to! But it did throw up an attitude problem which worried me. 

Why is it, in some circles, considered a good thing to boast about not reading? What are they hoping to achieve? 

 

I know reading has never been “cool”. I was the typical girly swot at school. Always had my head in a book but I’ve never seen that as a problem. (I always associated myself with Velma from the cartoon series Scooby Doo rather than Daphne, and with Jo March from Little Women rather than, say, Meg March. I’ve always had a soft spot for the girls with glasses and the ones who love to write. Can’t imagine why that is - possibly the fact I am still a girl, albeit an older one now, with glasses who loves to write may have something to do with it).

I must admit I do hope my genre, flash fiction, may prove to be a way of drawing in reluctant readers. At a maximum word count of 1000 words per story, I’m not asking them to commit to too much in one go. And if you can get them reading short fiction, maybe they’ll build up to novellas and from there to the novels. 

Do you think reluctant reading stems from lack of confidence in reading or from people assuming entertainment has to come from a screen or technological gadget? Are people thinking that books are full of description and “boring bits” and, if so, how can we overcome that image?  

I don’t have a problem with e-books. For me, they are just another format, though nothing will ever replace the paperback. I also hope the Kindle does encourage people to read more. Likewise audio books are wonderful. Some of my family are not big readers but they do like to listen to books. Fine, they’re taking in stories in a different way then, but it is the almost being proud of not reading that irks.

Reading for pleasure has been proven to have hidden benefits, not least is an increased vocabulary. Do people not see the use for this any more, do you think?  

It is good to see the slow return of live events though I do hope at my next one, the people there definitely do like books and want to read them. 

Any thoughts as to how to draw in the reluctant reader? After all a world of wonderful books and stories await. If someone tells me that, my first response is “lead me to it” but if only everyone thought that!

Comments

Peter Leyland said…
A very interesting post from my point of view Allison. As a teacher I have spent much of my life promoting the reading of fiction to children, teenagers and now adults. I know the benefits reading has given me and surprisingly it was never an issue amongst the boys I grew up with. (I still have my best friend's copy of Howards End.) At the moment I am doing a study called The Companionship of Books, soon to be published (I hope!) in INSTED: Interdisciplinary Studies in Education and Society. Thanks for this and the imaginative way that you have presented it.
Allison Symes said…
Many thanks, Peter. Reading is everything though it has taken me a lot longer to appreciate non-fiction. That is a relatively recent development for me but I am glad I've found it. But oh that people would appreciate reading more!
Kirsten Bett said…
I think it all starts at home, I read before I could walk I think... But how do you draw in reluctant readers, I think libraries could and do play a huge part in this if home is not where it starts. We have a great one where I live and they do all kinds of other activities too. Thanks for your blog!
Allison Symes said…
Many thanks, Kirsten. I was lucky. Mum encouraged reading and I was taught to read by her before I started school. She was told off for it too - apparently I'd been taught the wrong way. Let's just say I was never sorry Mum did that. Neither was Mum! And I couldn't tell you how many hours I've spent in libraries... wonderful places.
Is not declaring one doesn't like books & reading similar to 'Oh I can't do maths!' or 'I can't draw!' Terrible 'memes' which people use to bond with others, and/or to make sweeping as-it-were confident statements - possibly to shield themselves from being found wanting by 'admitting it first'? I suspect it might be. People are strange beings. We like to find our tribes. We use 'phatic communion' to do so. Though I agree with you Allison, and my Mum taught me to read before school too - no idea what school thought of it - she was a primary teacher so... I dislike Kindles - I'll have to be much more careful to keep quiet about that, I think, as so many people really love to read on those. (Maybe they are book-haters?)
Allison Symes said…
Many thanks, Clare. I'm sure it may be their way of admitting they don't read because they fear it maybe or have bad associations with reading in school. Great shame. I have no problem with the Kindle. I just see ebooks as another format and I would far rather people read on screen rather than not at all. I often use ebooks as a way of trying out works by authors who are new to me. And it is useful for holidays etc. No more worrying about how many books I can take. I just take the Kindle, my charger, and have done!

Popular posts

A Few Discreet Words About Caesar's Penis--Reb MacRath

Never Mind the Author Workshops, What Shall I Wear on World Book Day 2024? wonders Griselda Heppel

How to Live with the End in Mind: Wendy Mitchell’s Choice -- by Julia Jones

Brain on a Train -- Umberto Tosi

A writer's guide to Christmas newsletters - Roz Morris