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Welcome to The Reader Podcast. The Reader is a national charity bringing about a Reading Revolution so that everyone can experience and enjoy great literature, which we believe is a tool for helping humans survive and live well. Through our global Shared Reading movement, powered by 1,000 volunteers and many partnerships, we bring thousands of people together every month through weekly Shared Reading groups. Our podcast is for anyone who loves books and believes they can be powerful tools for change, and wants to hear more of the powerful, personal responses that reading can provide. It will feature great guests, conversations and thoughts about books and reading, and show how reading together improves wellbeing, strengthens communities and sparks the change needed in the world. The Reader is a registered charity and we rely on the generous support of individuals and organisations to help us change lives through Shared Reading around the UK. Please visit www.thereader.org.uk to donate and find out how you can get involved with our work. We are grateful for the kind support of our core funders Arts Council England, National Lottery Community Fund, the players of People’s Postcode Lottery and the Steve Morgan Foundation.
Episodes

Thursday Dec 12, 2024
12.'What Christmas Is, As We Grow Older': Festive Calendar 2024
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Thursday Dec 12, 2024
Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.
Today's reading is an extract from 'What Christmas Is, As We Grow Older' by Charles Dickens. It's read by Jen Jarman, who works for The Reader.
Dickens at Christmas at Bookshop.org
Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk
Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Wednesday Dec 11, 2024
11.'Snowdrops': Festive Calendar 2024
Wednesday Dec 11, 2024
Wednesday Dec 11, 2024
Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.
Today's reading is the poem 'Snowdrops' by Louise Glück. It's read by Angela Macmillan, the editor of The Reader anthologies A Little, Aloud, A Little, Aloud for Children and A Little, Aloud with Love.
A Little, Aloud at Bookshop.org
Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk
Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
10.'Ode to Winter': Festive Calendar 2024
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
Tuesday Dec 10, 2024
Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.
Today's reading is the poem 'Ode to Winter' by Gillian Clarke. It's read by Georgia Barrow, who works for The Reader.
Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk
Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Monday Dec 09, 2024
9.'The Mouse & His Child': Festive Calendar 2024
Monday Dec 09, 2024
Monday Dec 09, 2024
Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.
Today's reading is an extract from the novel The Mouse & His Child by Russell Hoban. It's read by Clare Ellis, who works for The Reader.
The Mouse & His Child at Bookshop.org
Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk
Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Sunday Dec 08, 2024
8.'The House of Falling Leaves': Festive Calendar 2024
Sunday Dec 08, 2024
Sunday Dec 08, 2024
Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.
Today's reading is an extract from the poem 'The House of Falling Leaves' by William Stanley Braithwaite. It's read by Jen Chapman, who works for The Reader.
Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk
Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Saturday Dec 07, 2024
7.Sherlock Holmes: Festive Calendar 2024
Saturday Dec 07, 2024
Saturday Dec 07, 2024
Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.
Today's reading is an extract from the story 'The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle' by Arthur Conan Doyle. It's read by Varinder Khanna, who leads a Shared Reading group in London.
Full story at Project Gutenberg
Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk
Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Friday Dec 06, 2024
6.Six Winter Haiku: Festive Calendar 2024
Friday Dec 06, 2024
Friday Dec 06, 2024
Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.
Today's reading is Six Winter Haiku by Bashō, translated from the Japanese by Robert Hass. They are read by Kara Orford, who works for The Reader.
Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk
Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Thursday Dec 05, 2024
5.'Kilvert's Diary': Festive Calendar 2024
Thursday Dec 05, 2024
Thursday Dec 05, 2024
Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.
Today's reading is an extract from Kilvert's Diary. It's read by Anna McCracken, who works for The Reader.
Kilvert's Diary at Bookshop.org
Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk
Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Wednesday Dec 04, 2024
4.'One Evening': Festive Calendar 2024
Wednesday Dec 04, 2024
Wednesday Dec 04, 2024
Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders
Today's reading is the poem 'One Evening' by William Stafford . It's read by Sam Owen who works for The Reader.
Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk
Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
3.'A Winter's Day': Festive Calendar 2024
Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
Tuesday Dec 03, 2024
Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.
Today's reading is the poem 'A Winter's Day' by Paul Laurence Dunbar. It's read by Erin Carlstrom who works for The Reader.
Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk
Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson