I was very pleased to be appointed as Scottish Book Trust Reader In Residence to Scottish Borders Libraries in September 2013. The principle aims of the
residency is to encourage reading, and increased use of Scottish Borders libraries
many and varied resources. The residency
runs until June 2014. During that time I
will be working in partnership with the library service.
Libraries are not only about books
these days. They are a veritable
Aladdin’s Cave of treasure whether it be magazines, newspapers, games, CD’S,
DVD’s, local and national information,
computers and of course books both loud with adventure and quiet with
knowledge.
One of the continual joys of my life
is the discovery of a new author; book; piece of information or a brand new
word. To me entering a library is like entering
a conversation with a million and one people both ancient and modern all eager
to share their memories, imagination and knowledge.
Discovering libraries and books
led directly to me becoming a writer. I
had always since I was very young made up stories inside my head exploring far
off lands, or closer to home scoring the winning goal for Scotland in the World
Cup Final! Books gave me the encouragement
to write my stories down and share them with other people. My house is filled with books, my head with so
many more collected over the years.
The above are some of the reasons
why I am so looking forward to the next few months. I aim to encourage an ongoing discovery of new
imaginative worlds through discussion and sharing of enthusiasms. To promote the idea that reading can be many
things both a pleasure and an education.
It could result in a fresh perspective on your own environment, or the realization
that different types of reading are capable of opening up different areas of
the imagination and experience.
During my various residencies I
have worked with a wide range of community groups and I’ve always found that a
relaxed supportive group environment is one of the best ways of encouraging the
expansion of knowledge and imagination. To make reading fun and enjoyable not
something you feel you have to do but something you want to do. That is what I aim to achieve.
It doesn’t need to start with
books but can be an interest in sports, history, cooking, and a plethora of
different things. Through these common interests
and bonds a group can be formed utilizing the resources of the libraries to
feed that interest.
It is the aim to start a process that
leads to the creation of a Border wide community of readers interconnected
through their local library and community groups.
One of the many ways of achieving this is to organize
various events in a local library near you, as well as pop up libraries in community
spaces.
Events are already up and running. One of those is the
Treasure Train. This has stopped at
various locations across the Borders. An
event where the whole family, grandparent, parent and child, share their own
childhood experiences of reading. The
Treasure Train can be filled with memories and experiences of reading a book
whether old or new. ie: where they read
them; their favorite character! It is mainly though about the whole family
seeing each other through their enthusiasm for reading and in the process maybe
encouraging grandparents and parents to revisit those childhood books. Also sharing those books with their own
children and grandchildren. The plan is
to have more stops along the way!
Other events included storytelling, visits to local
communities via the Mobile Library and a full programme of activities for Book
Week Scotland. Many more events are in
the pipeline for 2014.
It is a very exciting time for reading in the Borders. It is
an opportunity to share, develop, create, enthusiasm for the reading experience
across all ages. To me reading is one
of those rare things that always seem fresh and new. Turning a page to discover what lies ahead is
a never ending thrilling experience.
That applies if the book is new to you or you are revisiting a book. I have read books a number of times and each
time I have discovered something new or rediscovered what I have forgotten in
the rush of life.
This residency supported by the Scottish Book Trust and
Creative Scotland is one of only four throughout Scotland