Resources
The Reading Agency Hub
Here you can access The Reading Agency at home. You’ll find ideas, activities and challenges from across our programmes to entertain and educate yourself, your family or those you are teaching remotely. The activities will be refreshed every couple of weeks and we have The Reading Agency Toolkit available for you to download, which gives some great hints and tips for keeping well and reading during this time of isolation.
On Chapel Sands - reading group guide
Waterstones Book of the Month for April 2020 A deeply moving story of family and community that is striking and unforgettable, On Chapel Sands is part-true crime narrative, part-investigation into the subjectivity of memory and part-witness to a vanishing provincial way of life. Why not start reading with your Zoom book club with Vintage’s reading group discussion pack, available here. More about Laura Cumming Laura Cumming is the art critic for the Observer. Previously, she was a...
The Farm - Book Club Kit
The Farm was chosen for the Radio 2 Book Club. Ambitious businesswoman Mae Yu runs Golden Oaks – a luxury retreat transforming the fertility industry – where women get the very best of everything, so long as they play by the rules. Jane is a young immigrant in search of a better future. Stuck living in a cramped dorm with her baby daughter and her shrewd aunt Ate, she sees an unmissable chance to change her life. But at what cost? A brilliant, darkly funny novel that explores the...
The Farm by Joanne Ramos - First Chapter
The Farm was chosen for the Radio 2 Book Club. Ambitious businesswoman Mae Yu runs Golden Oaks – a luxury retreat transforming the fertility industry – where women get the very best of everything, so long as they play by the rules. Jane is a young immigrant in search of a better future. Stuck living in a cramped dorm with her baby daughter and her shrewd aunt Ate, she sees an unmissable chance to change her life. But at what cost? A brilliant, darkly funny novel that explores the...
The Doll Factory by Elizabeth Macneal - First Chapter
The Doll Factory was chosen for the Radio 2 Book Club. London. 1850. The greatest spectacle the city has ever seen is being built in Hyde Park, and among the crowd watching two people meet. For Iris, an aspiring artist, it is the encounter of a moment – forgotten seconds later, but for Silas, a collector entranced by the strange and beautiful, that meeting marks a new beginning. When Iris is asked to model for pre-Raphaelite artist Louis Frost, she agrees on the condition that he will also...
The Beekeeper of Aleppo - Reading Group questions
The Beekeeper of Aleppo was chosen for the Radio 2 Book Club. Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo – until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. But what Afra has seen is so terrible she has gone blind, and so they must embark on a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece towards an uncertain future in Britain. On the way, Nuri is...
The Beekeeper of Aleppo - First Chapter
The Beekeeper of Aleppo was chosen for the Radio 2 Book Club. Nuri is a beekeeper; his wife, Afra, an artist. They live a simple life, rich in family and friends, in the beautiful Syrian city of Aleppo – until the unthinkable happens. When all they care for is destroyed by war, they are forced to escape. But what Afra has seen is so terrible she has gone blind, and so they must embark on a perilous journey through Turkey and Greece towards an uncertain future in Britain. On the way,...
Tyll - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title Tyll by Daniel Kehlmann, translated by Ross Benjamin by clicking below.
The Other Name: Septology I-II - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title The Other Name: Septology I-II by Jon Fosse, translated by Damion Searls by clicking below.
The Memory Police - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title The Memory Police by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder by clicking below.
The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree by Shokoofeh Azar, anonymous translor, by clicking below.
The Discomfort of Evening - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title The Discomfort of Evening by Marieke Lucas Rijneveld, translated by Michele Hutchison by clicking below.
The Adventures of China Iron - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title The Adventures of China Iron by Gabriela Cabezón Cámara, translated by Iona Macintyre and Fiona Mackintosh by clicking below.
Serotonin - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title Serotonin by Michel Houellebecq, translated by Shaun Whiteside by clicking below.
Red Dog - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title Red Dog by Willem Anker, translated by Michel Heyns by clicking below.
Mac and His Problem - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title Mac and His Problem by Enrique Vila-Matas, translated by Margaret Jull Costa and Sophie Hughes by clicking below.
Little Eyes - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title Little Eyes by Samanta Schweblin, translated by Megan McDowell by clicking below.
Hurricane Season - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title Hurricane Season by Fernanda Melchor, translated by Sophie Hughes by clicking below.
Faces on the Tip of My Tongue - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title Faces on the Tip of My Tongue by Emmanuelle Pagano, translated by Sophie Lewis and Jennifer Higgins by clicking below.
The Eighth Life - Readers' Guide
On 27 February the International Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title The Eighth Life by Nino Haratischvili, translated by Charlotte Collins and Ruth Martin by clicking below.
Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession - Discussion Questions
Leonard and Hungry Paul are two friends who see the world differently. They use humour, board games and silence to steer their way through the maelstrom that is the 21st century. ‘The figure in Munch’s painting isn’t actually screaming!’ Hungry Paul said. ‘Really, are you sure?’ Replied Leonard. ‘Absolutely. That’s the whole thing. The figure is actually closing his ears to block out a scream. Isn’t that amazing? A painting can be so misunderstood and still become so famous.’ Leonard and...
Golden Child by Claire Adam - First Chapter
It’s dark now; the bats are out. Insects knock against the light on the patio and the dog sits at the gate. A boy has not returned home and a family anxiously awaits. A father steps out into the night to search for his son. As the hours turn into days, this man will learn many things. He will learn about being a father to twin boys who are in no way alike. He will learn how dangerous hopes and dreams can be. He will learn truths about Trinidad, about his family, and himself. He will question...
Covid-19 Toolkit to Stay Connected
We know many of our partners have had to close their buildings and are working remotely. We want to share our resources and ideas that will help us all stay connected.
Climate Change booklist
This month we’re travelling to alternative worlds, and worlds that don’t seem too different from our own with our climate change booklist. Full of fiction and non-fiction, this list will get you thinking about how you can make a positive impact on the world.
Reading Guide for Jane Austen's Emma
Jane Austen’s beloved comedy about finding your equal and earning your happy ending is reimagined in this delicious new film adaptation of EMMA. Handsome, clever and rich, Emma Woodhouse is a restless “queen bee” without rivals in her sleepy little English town. In this glittering satire of social class, Emma must navigate her way through the challenges of growing up, misguided matches and romantic missteps to realize the love that has been there all along. Please find a Reading Resources for...
The Monster Writing (A Monster Calls by Patrick Ness) - a competition
Walker Books have an exciting creative writing challenge called THE MONSTER CHALLENGE. ‘Stories are important. Stories can be more important than anything. If they carry the truth.’ Patrick Ness, A Monster Calls Are you a young person with a passion for telling stories? Do you feel the itch to grab a notebook and pen to respond to the world around you? Or do you know a young person aged 10-25 who loves creative writing? To accompany the UK Tour, we are running The Monster Challenge, seeking...
BBC The Novels that Shaped our World A3 Poster
Download this empty belly poster to use in your library to promote the BBC The Novels that Shaped Our World.
BBC The Novels that Shaped our World A4 Poster
A4 poster Download this empty belly poster to use in your library to promote the BBC The Novels that Shaped Our World.
Books of the Year 2019
It’s been another fantastic year full of books and we’re delighted to present our Books of the Year list for 2019. Our staff have chosen their top recommendations of new books from the year and we hope that you’ll be inspired to borrow at least one of them from the library or buy a copy for yourself. Let us know your favourites using #BooksOfTheYear on social media.
Non-fiction November 2019
It’s November which means that we’re looking back at some of our favourite non-fiction titles from the past year. We think these books are fascinating, offering unique and interesting perspectives into a huge variety of topics.
