The Reader

The Reader The UK's biggest charity. We read aloud with thousands of adults and children at our home in Calderstones Park and beyond.

The Reader is an award-winning charity working to connect people with great literature through Shared Reading. We bring books to life, delivering Shared Reading groups in libraries, care homes, schools, prisons, on hospital wards and more. Our staff and volunteers create a welcoming environment in which personal feeling is recognised and valued, forming vital connections between people and literat

ure through which everyone can feel more alive. We work to bring about social change by sharing great literature, making it possible for people of all ages, backgrounds and abilities to engage with reading, improve well-being and build community.

23/06/2026

Say I do this August and save £2000💐✨

Our highly sought-after August Bank Holiday date is available for booking! Our Grade II listed Mansion House is one of Liverpool's most iconic venues to host your special day, the perfect place to say "I do". If you're looking for a venue with a difference, that helps make a difference, we can't wait to hear from you.

LATE AVAILABILITY OFFER - 30 August 2026 - £8000 for 60 guests (+VAT)
💒Full day venue hire including furniture & linen
👋A dedicated Event Coordinator
🍾Arrival drinks
✨Canapés
🍴3 Course wedding breakfast
🍷Half a bottle of wine per person
🥂Toast drink
🎉Evening light bites

To book or find out more information, contact [email protected].

Run for The Reader: London Landmarks Half Marathon 2027Sunday 4 AprilApplications open NOW!‘The distance is nothing when...
21/06/2026

Run for The Reader: London Landmarks Half Marathon 2027
Sunday 4 April
Applications open NOW!

‘The distance is nothing when one has a motive’ Pride and Prejudice

We have five spaces available for you to take part in the London Landmarks Half Marathon. With every step you'll be supporting Shared Reading projects across the UK, helping people at all stages and walks of life find joy and connection through the power of literature and reading together. From Reading Heroes - helping care-experienced children discover a love of books and reading, to Shared Reading groups where people can be part of something more — finding community and connection through the good times and the challenging ones.

Join The Reader's team and receive dedicated support and the opportunity to get to know your fellow runners. With only five places available in this year's race, please apply early to guarantee your spot.

To apply to Run for the Reader, complete the form https://forms.cloud.microsoft/Pages/ResponsePage.aspx?id=WsufqCbBtU2FQ82scKd7Non1_RJuo5ROlm9i1ID79XdUMzNYOURBTk1UNlg3VjcwSURIUkUyREk1WS4u

There's no registration fee to secure a place, however we do ask for a commitment to raise a minimum sponsorship of £1000 per runner. For more information, please email Development Manager Lisa at [email protected]

21/06/2026

Take a moment for yourself and join us for a calming afternoon inspired by one of our 2026 Bookshelf picks, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

We'll begin with a relaxed Shared Reading session led by our experienced practitioners before taking a stroll through the beautiful Calderstones Park. Enjoy a drink back at the Mansion House whilst building your own poetry collection to take home.

There's no need to have read the book, we'll explore it together on the day. All reading material will be provided.

Book your space at https://thereader.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173678165 📖🌱

We're hiring! Could you join our exciting Storybarn, Criminal Justice or Calderstones Site team?Site Operations Coordina...
19/06/2026

We're hiring! Could you join our exciting Storybarn, Criminal Justice or Calderstones Site team?

Site Operations Coordinator
Storybarn Assistant Manager
Criminal Justice Group Lead
Storybarn Manager (Maternity Cover)
Cleaner

Apply at thereader.org.uk/jobs

19/06/2026

Join us for two inspiring masterclasses led by the wonderful Professor Estela Meije. Estela is a Reader Leader and founder of The Reading Experience and La Experiencia de Leer (in Spanish), a long-standing project that brings readers together to explore literature through shared reading and conversation. Based in Argentina, she has spent many years working with adults, teachers, and language learners, creating spaces where literature becomes a catalyst for reflection, dialogue, and connection. Her work has been deeply influenced by the philosophy of The Reader and its approach to reading as a meaningful communal experience.

Saturday 18 July: The Art of Microfiction
Microfiction has the remarkable ability to open vast emotional and imaginative spaces within just a few lines. In this workshop we will read and explore a small selection of striking micro-stories—many of them from Latin American writers—and reflect on how such brief texts can resonate so deeply with readers.

Sunday 19 July: Voices from Argentina
Argentine literature offers a rich and vibrant landscape of voices, textures, and perspectives. In this workshop, we will explore a small selection of poems and short stories by Argentine writers, discovering how these texts open windows into universal human experiences while remaining deeply rooted in place and culture.

Book your space at https://thereader.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows?tags=masterclass 🎟️📚

In conversation with the award-winning author of My Sister, the Serial Killer ✨Join us for an extra-special evening with...
18/06/2026

In conversation with the award-winning author of My Sister, the Serial Killer ✨
Join us for an extra-special evening with multi-award-winning author Oyinkan Braithwaite at The Reader Bookshop. Meet the writer behind the global sensation My Sister, the Serial Killer as she celebrates the release of her latest novel Cursed Daughters. From Sunday Times bestseller to winner of the Crime and Thriller Book of the Year in the British Book Awards 2020, Oyinkan is one of the most exciting voices in contemporary fiction and we can't wait to welcome her to The Reader.

The event will feature a lively Q&A hosted by Sara-Louise Tareen from Liverpool’s much-loved Feminist Fiction Book Club.

Monday 13 July, 6.30pm
Book tickets at https://thereader.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173681055

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of Dr Angela Raeside MacMillan. In 1997, Angie was one of t...
17/06/2026

It is with great sadness that we share the news of the death of Dr Angela Raeside MacMillan. In 1997, Angie was one of the co-founders of The Reader magazine. This was the birth of what has become The Reader.

Angie's belief in great literature and Shared Reading, and her extraordinary, robust kindness are engrained in The Reader's Shared Reading model and our DNA. For 29 years, Angie has been part of The Reader family, creating the A Little Loud anthology series and supporting our volunteers to find the best literature for their groups.

Her singular reading focus was a capacity that stayed with her to the end and will continue to inspire our practice at The Reader. We are incredibly thankful for Angie and her lasting impact on Shared Reading.

Our founder Jane Davis has written an obituary which you can read at thereader.org.uk/remembering-angie/ (linked in bio).

17/06/2026

LAST SPACES! Our Masterclasses offer an inspiring deep‑dive into literature, giving you the space to explore great stories, spark fresh thoughts, and share the experience with fellow book-lovers. It’s a rewarding, energising way to take your reading to the next level in friendly and open-minded company.

Join The Reader's Founder, Jane Davis as she guides you through the work of George Herbert, Gerard Manley Hopkins and Jeanette Winterson. You will explore the inner life that connects these writers to help make sense of our own personal experiences; our thoughts, emotions, intuitions, desires, fears, and the subtle movements of consciousness that aren’t always visible from the outside.

Tea, coffee, cakes and light lunch included (vegan-friendly)
All reading material will be provided on the day and there’s no need to prepare anything in advance.

Sunday 21 June, 10am - 4pm
Book at https://thereader.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173678225 📖

Take a moment for yourself and join us for a calming afternoon inspired by one of our 2026 The Bookshelf picks, Braiding...
14/06/2026

Take a moment for yourself and join us for a calming afternoon inspired by one of our 2026 The Bookshelf picks, Braiding Sweetgrass by Robin Wall Kimmerer.

We'll begin with a relaxed Shared Reading session led by our experienced practitioners before taking a walk to take in the beauty of Calderstones Park in the summer. Enjoy a drink back at the Mansion House whilst building your own poetry collection to take home.

There’s no need to have read the book, we’ll explore it together on the day. All reading material will be provided.

Book your space at https://thereader.ticketsolve.com/ticketbooth/shows/1173678165 📖🌱

Address

Calderstones Mansion House, Calderstones Park
Liverpool
L183JB

Opening Hours

Monday 9am - 4pm
Tuesday 9am - 4pm
Wednesday 9am - 4pm
Thursday 9am - 4pm
Friday 9am - 4pm
Saturday 9am - 4pm
Sunday 9am - 4pm

Telephone

+441517292200

Website

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