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On this page we have posted photos of some of the events that
took place during Small
Island Read 2007.
Additional photos can be found on various other pages across
the site.
Follow the links in the right-hand column for official press
releases.
Go to the What’s
On page for calendars of
events and details of activities that took place.
Small Island Read 2007
Gets Off to Great Start
Since Small Island Read 2007 was launched on 11 January, libraries,
reading groups, schools, businesses, hospitals, universities and
individual members of the public have joined in enthusiastically.
Within
a couple of days many of the over 500 libraries participating in
the project were reporting that all their loan copies of Small
Island were being borrowed and the distribution points for free
copies said they had few left. This means that nearly 50,000
copies of Small Island are now being read from Glasgow to Penzance
as part of this project.
Among the news from across the country
is the following:
Devon: Several libraries in the
county have already run out of their generous allocation of titles
and asked for more (which are being rushed to them). There have
been a large number of emails from reading groups who want to
take up the offer of free books in return for entering their
comments on the website
– and a new reading group was launched in Dartmouth last
week in which each member was given their own copy.
Bristol: All but two of
the city's library reading groups are reading Small
Island and one
group – at Eastville Library – have only just formed
so this is their first book they've read together. Books have
been sent to over 60 education groups across the city and a busy
programme of over 50 creative workshops for schools and colleges,
and 20 school assemblies has just begun.
Poole: 115 copies have been given away to the public
in the space of a week, 113 copies have been given away to reading
groups and of the 120 copies in the libraries 70 are currently on
loan in addition to the other editions, large print and audio.
Cornwall: Saltash Library
issued all 50 loan copies of Small
Island in 28 hours.
All 100 copies given to Treliske Hospital in Truro are being read
by staff, and there is a queue for returns. A new lunchtime book
group has been launched with Small Island for
workers at County Hall – Cornwall Libraries hopes to have
a group on each floor. A County Hall member of staff has promised
to share her childhood recollections of travelling on the Windrush
to Egypt (and back again; the Suez crisis prevented them landing).
One reader has given her copy to her granddaughter studying Sociology
at Edinburgh University who will share it with university friends
and another plans to leave her book in Thailand.
Glasgow: Glasgow copies have reached the Costa
del Sol and Kazakhstan (see the Reader
Comments page for photos).
Dorset: The Library Service reports that within less than a fortnight, 664
paperbacks had gone out on loan plus 106 copies of the hardback edition.
Loans of large print and talking books currently stand at 34.
Making handprints at the abolition event held at Rossmore Library
and Learning Centre. Copies of Small
Island were given to participants.
Audience at Andrea Levy event organised by Bristol Libraries
(Laura Thorne).
Recent meeting of Combiblios, a reading group for past and present
members of Exeter Central library staff who meet monthly in Old
Timers pub.
Handing out books on Bold Street in Liverpool on World Book Day.
Anthony Joseph from Trinidad, and Michelle
Scally Clarke from Leeds alongside reggae DJs – Senator
Sound System - at the Heart Beats poetry night in Liverpool that
was linked to Small Island Read 2007.
Musicians of the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in
Glasgow can't wait to get their hands on copies (Peter
Devlin).
John, Sunil, Dave, Dan (standing),
Tiegan, Tom, Stuart (seated) with Claire Williamson at
a workshop based on Refugee Boy at City of Bristol College.
Read two of the poems the students created here (Word
document).
Pupils at Avon Primary School Bristol with one of the
banners they created with artist Gloria Ojulari Sule
in a workshop.
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Andrea Levy in Hull.
Andrea Levy at the Central Library in Liverpool.
Readings at Creekmoor Library in Poole, Dorset.
Staff at Devon Libraries headquarters with books and guides.
Leo Wringer, who is playing Othello for Shakespeare at the Tobacco
Factory in Bristol, reading an
extract from the play.
Lucy Urquhart (Arts Officer, Royal Cornwall
Hospital Trust), Maureen Twose (Cornwall Libraries) and staff and
day patients of the Haematology Clinic, Treliske Hospital, Truro.
Michael Wood, the Town Crier for Hull, and Terry Fisher, as William
Wilberforce, at Hull Paragon Station.
The Check It Out group with books in Lyme Regis library. The group
was set up by Dorset County Council's library and youth services.
Mr Priddie and Violet from the Caribbean Reading Group in Liverpool with copies
of Small Island (Liverpool
Reads).
Staff at Blackwell on Park Street, Bristol, one of the distribution points for
free copies in exchange for a coupon (Laura
Thorne).
Staff at Arnolfini in Bristol's harbourside, another of the distribution points
for free copies (Laura Thorne).
Staff at the University of Bristol (Laura Thorne).
Some of the 200 staff at Parsons Brinckerhoff in Bristol who've been given a
copy of the book (Laura Thorne).
Ruth Pitter and Valerie Mower of the artists' group Our
Stories Makes Waves with a copy of the book. Our
Stories Make Waves are running assemblies on a migration
theme in Bristol schools as part of the project. (Laura Thorne).
Eileen O'Donnell, Customer Services Supervisor and Frances
Bradley, Adult Literacy Coordinator, in Glasgow's Mitchell Library.
Glasgow Libraries' drivers, Lex, Jim
and Ernie, take a break from delivering copies of Small
Island around the city.
Glasgow University students Craig Waugh
and Richard Anderson reading Small
Island. |
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