Lucy Pick, commercial manager at Hampshire Libraries, talks about absorbing reading, perfect stories, and the pleasures of stumbling on a book by chance. Where’s your favourite place to read? When I used to be able to commute, I loved reading on the bus. You can lose yourself in a good book: with a book in… Continue reading Books and Me: on my shelves
It’s May and we are well into the Book Awards calendar. We’ve already had the shortlist for the Women’s Prize for Fiction, The Man Booker International Prize and the Wolfson History Prize, amongst many others. This month we will see the Orwell Prizes shortlist for political fiction and non-fiction, the Jhalak Prize winner, the winners… Continue reading Award-winning books
Hosted by the Mental Health Foundation, Mental Health Awareness Week begins on 10 May and aims to promote good mental health for all. To support mental health Hampshire Libraries offer a variety of courses through the Learning in Libraries initiative, courses include wellbeing and fitness, digital skills, and many more. This year’s theme for National… Continue reading Mental Health Awareness Week
Caryl Phillips, born in St Kitts and brought up in Leeds, has written for television, radio, theatre, and cinema and is the author of three works of non-fiction and eight novels, including Crossing the River which was shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1993.
World Book Night (Friday 23 April) brings people from all backgrounds together with one goal – to share their love of reading and inspire others to read more. This year the libraries of Aldershot, Andover , Fleet, Chandler’s Ford and Gosport will be taking part, sharing free copies of ‘Stories to Make You Smile’ edited… Continue reading Celebrate World Book Night with us
The greatest distance travelled by Jan Morris, was not across the Earth’s surface but from being newspaper reporter James Morris to the female voyager and historian Jan Morris. The Guardian James’ Morris post-war career as a journalist, writing for The Times and the Manchester Guardian, was balanced with time spent researching and writing travel books,… Continue reading Jan Morris
The Reading Agency have selected us as a partner to help deliver Read, Talk, Share, an initiative to combat loneliness and promote wellbeing through the proven power of reading during the COVID-19 pandemic. Enabled by a £3.5 million award by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS), Read, Talk, Share will expand The… Continue reading Read, Talk, Share; tackling loneliness and supporting mental health through the proven power of reading.
Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) remains one of the most innovative writers of the 20th century. Alongside her novels, Woolf was a prolific creator of essays, diaries, letters and biographies, capturing the changing world around her in her focus on the themes of transformation in gender roles, sexuality and class. Woolf was outspoken in her writing on… Continue reading Virginia Woolf
