Celebrating the power of reading on World Book Day in Grantham

It’s now an annual tradition for Penguin Random House colleagues to spend World Book Day volunteering in schools, libraries, homeless shelters and community settings, sharing their passion for books and reading.

On World Book Day 2020, over 500 volunteers reached 6,000 children, young people and adults in some of the most literacy-vulnerable parts of  London, and local to our warehouse sites in Essex and Grantham. One of these volunteers was Simon Goldstein, Head of Operations at Grantham Book Services.

For the second year in a row, Simon and some of his team visited Gregory House, a local care home for the elderly.

Reading aloud from The Poetry Pharmacy by William Seighart, Simon and his colleagues discussed the meaning of the poems with residents Jean, Bobby, Frank and Phyllis; how they made them feel, and how they might connect with the poems today.

'I think everyone relates to poetry, because everyone read poetry at school, especially in their eras when it was the thirties and fourties. It was really touching that everyone knew by heart, 'The Owl and the Pussycat' because that's what they were taught at school.'

After listening to Simon reading aloud, Jean volunteered herself to read a favourite poem she'd spotted in the book, which gently encouraged others to do the same. The session transformed, with Simon taking on the role of listener, as the poems were read and discussed. Familiar titles such as You'll Never Walk Alone proved especially popular and they discussed how hearing the poem again made them feel.

Seeing the group so invested, Simon was happy at how the session had naturally evolved: 'It was brilliant seeing them engaged. That's the highlight of my year, so far. For that person to ask to read a poem, is fabulous. It feels like a job done. We really achieved something.'

Simon discussed why he felt it was important to volunteer on World Book Day: 'We already have the books, which makes it so powerful. Grantham is a very small town and a lot of people know each other, so I think that us reading with the people at Gregory House, and my colleagues at the Blind Society and at schools today – it really helps us connect with the community.'

Reading can be a solitary activity, but it doesn't have to be. Reading with a group can open you up to new perspectives, and be a space to share thoughts and experiences. Something as simple as reading a poem together can reveal a whole new meaning for both people. Simon looks forward to connecting again with Jean, Bobby, Frank and Phyllis at Gregory House on a more regular basis.

Photographs by Kate Holt