Resources
Choose Songbirds for your next Reading Group
We are pleased to be able to offer downloadable Reading Group questions for Songbirds, the powerful follow-up to The Beekeeper of Aleppo. Nisha has crossed oceans to give her child a future. By day she cares for Petra’s daughter; at night she mothers her own little girl by the light of a phone. Nisha’s lover, Yiannis, is a poacher, hunting the tiny songbirds on their way to Africa each winter. His dreams of a new life, and of marrying Nisha, are shattered when she vanishes. No one cares about...
Radio 2 Book Club titles April-June 2021
Here are all the titles recommended by the Radio 2 Book Club on the Steve Wright in the Afternoon Show from April to June 2021. These books were chosen in collaboration with librarians in the UK. You can find out more on our website.
National Poetry Day Discussion Notes
Join in the National Poetry Day celebration on 7 October by choosing a book from the list of recommended books for reading groups. There’s no right or wrong way to approach poetry, or to appreciate and discuss it. This guide will provide your group with questions for each of National Poetry Day’s recommended reads. Enjoy!
We Can Do Better Than This: 35 Voices on the Future of LGBTQ+ Rights
To celebrate the publication of WE CAN DO BETTER THAN THIS: 35 Voices on the Future of LGBTQ+ Rights, edited by Amelia Abraham, we have a poster available to download. How can we create a better world for LGBTQ+ people? 35 extraordinary voices share their stories and visions for the future. We talk about achieving ‘LGBTQ+ equality’, but around the world, LGBTQ+ people are still suffering discrimination and extreme violence. How do we solve this urgent problem, allowing queer people everywhere...
Djinn Patrol on the Purple Line by Deepa Anappara - Reading Guide Booklet
Discover the heart-rending, unforgettable novel longlisted for the Women’s Prize 2020 with Vintage’s Reading Group Booklet. We would love to see how you use the reading guide on social media using #DjinnPatrol and @VintageBooks. ‘A dazzling, wonderful book’ ELIF SHAFAK ‘The arrival of a literary supernova… Warning: if you begin in the morning, don’t expect to get anything done for the rest of the day’ NEW YORK TIMES In a sprawling Indian city, three friends venture into the most dangerous...
The Courage to Care Reading Guide
The Courage to Care is a vital and timely book about inspirational nurses, and the bravery of patients and families, from the bestselling author of The Language of Kindness. Written by Christie Watson and published by Vintage.
The Courage to Care Downloadable Poster
The Courage to Care is a vital and timely book about inspirational nurses, and the bravery of patients and families, from the bestselling author of The Language of Kindness. Written by Christie Watson and published by Vintage.
THE FATHER film discussion guide
In THE FATHER, Hopkins plays the eponymous role of a mischievous and highly independent man who, as he ages, refuses all assistance from his daughter Anne (Olivia Colman). Yet, such help has become essential following Anne’s decision to move to Paris with her partner. As Anne’s father tries to make sense of his changing circumstances, he begins to doubt his loved ones, his own mind and even the fabric of his reality. This discussion guide created by Kova PR can be used to inspire...
Read with Pride - Summer of Reading List 2021 A3 poster
The second Paper & Hearts Society adventure. Join Olivia and The Paper & Hearts Society gang in this joyful comfort read and celebration of books from Booktuber Lucy Powrie. The perfect book for fans of Alice Oseman, Holly Smale and Zoella. Olivia Santos is excited for her last year at secondary school. But when a parent complains about LGBTQ+ content in one of the books, the library implements a new policy for withdrawing books. Olivia is distraught – she’s demisexual and knows how...
Quick Reads 2021 Discussion Guides
Use these reader and discussion guides in book groups, Reading Ahead sessions or literacy classes to spark conversation about the six 2021 Quick Reads.
When We Cease to Understand the World – International Booker Prize 2021 Discussion Guide
Download this discussion guide for When We Cease to Understand the World by Benjamín Labatut, translated by Adrian Nathan West, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2021. See the full International Booker Prize shortlist.
The War of the Poor – International Booker Prize 2021 Discussion Guide
Download this discussion guide for The War of the Poor by Éric Vuillard, translated by Mark Polizzotti, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2021. See the full International Booker Prize shortlist.
The Employees – International Booker Prize 2021 Discussion Guide
Download this discussion guide for The Employees by Olga Ravn, translated by Martin Aitken, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2021. See the full International Booker Prize shortlist.
The Dangers of Smoking in Bed – International Booker Prize 2021 Discussion Guide
Download this discussion guide for The Dangers of Smoking in Bed by Mariana Enríquez, translated by Megan McDowell, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2021. See the full International Booker Prize shortlist.
In Memory of Memory – International Booker Prize 2021 Discussion Guide
Download this discussion guide for In Memory of Memory by Maria Stepanova, translated by Sasha Dugdale, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2021. See the full International Booker Prize shortlist.
At Night All Blood Is Black - International Booker Prize 2021 Discussion Guide
Download this discussion guide for At Night All Blood Is Black by David Diop, translated by Anna Moschovakis, shortlisted for the International Booker Prize 2021. See the full International Booker Prize shortlist.
Unsettled Ground – Women's Prize for Fiction Reading Guide
Download this reading guide, produced by the Women’s Prize for Fiction, for Unsettled Ground by Claire Fuller, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021.
Transcendent Kingdom - Women's Prize for Fiction
Download this reading guide, produced by the Women’s Prize for Fiction, for Transcendent Kingdom by Yaa Gyasi, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021.
The Vanishing Half – Women's Prize for Fiction Reading Guide
Download this reading guide, produced by the Women’s Prize for Fiction, for The Vanishing Half by Brit Bennett, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021.
Piranesi - Women's Prize for Fiction Reading Guide
Download this reading guide, produced by the Women’s Prize for Fiction, for Piranesi by Susanna Clarke, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021.
No One Is Talking About This - Women's Prize for Fiction Reading Guide
Download this reading guide, produced by the Women’s Prize for Fiction, for No One Is Talking About This by Patricia Lockwood, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021.
How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House – Women's Prize for Fiction Reading Guide
Download this reading guide, produced by the Women’s Prize for Fiction, for How the One-Armed Sister Sweeps Her House by Cherie Jones, shortlisted for the Women’s Prize for Fiction 2021.
The Black Friend by Frederick Joseph - Discussion Guide
Speaking directly to the reader, Frederick Joseph offers powerful reflections on his own experiences with racism in The Black Friend: On Being a Better White Person. As a former “token Black kid”, he now presents himself as the friend many readers need, touching on topics including cultural appropriation, “reverse racism” and white privilege. Featuring interviews with figures such as writer Angie Thomas, content creator Toni Tone, and April Reign, founder of the #OscarsSoWhite movement, this...
The Strawberry Thief Reading Group Guide
If you are reading The Strawberry Thief as part of a reading group, here are some questions and resources to help get you started created by the author Joanne Harris. Warning: questions may contain spoilers!
Bloomsbury's Read, Talk, Share booklist
Bloomsbury has created a booklist for libraries and other organisations participating in The Reading Agency’s Read, Talk, Share campaign. The list can be used by people looking for books tackling loneliness, isolation, mental health issues, and maintaining human connection during lockdown. There are also a number of novels that have been chosen for their transporting and escapist quality. The list contains a mixture of fiction and non-fiction for both adults and children and can be used in a...
Promotional digital assets for MI9 by Dr Helen Fry
Download social media assets, including shareable cards with information on the book and an author video to promote MI9 by Dr Helen Fry in your library. You can also find an extract from the book about the invention of ‘Q-gadgets’, popularised by James Bond, here “A fitting tribute to the hundreds of men and women who risked their lives in assisting Allied escapees.”—Giles Milton, Sunday Times When Allied fighters were trapped behind enemy lines, one branch of military intelligence helped...
Reading Guide for The Secret Garden
The Secret Garden, a Sky original tells the story of Mary Lennox (Dixie Egerickx – Genius, The Little Stranger), a 10-year-old girl sent to live with her uncle Archibald Craven (Colin Firth), under the watchful eye of Mrs. Medlock (Julie Walters) with only the household maid, Martha (Isis Davis) for company. The film is set in 1940s England at Misselthwaite Manor, a remote country estate deep in the Yorkshire moors. Mary begins to uncover many family secrets, particularly after chancing upon...
The Reading Agency's toolkit for hosting online events
As events continue to move to online formats, we have created a toolkit to support libraries and other organisations to host their own author Q&As, panel discussions and readings. If you have any questions or would like further information and support, please get in touch with [email protected].
How Much of These Hills Is Gold - Readers' Guide
In July 2020 the Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title How Much of These Hills Is Gold by C Pam Zhang by clicking below.
Love and Other Thought Experiments - Readers' Guide
In July 2020 the Booker Prize revealed the longlist for the 2020 prize. You can download a Readers’ Guide for longlisted title Love and Other Thought Experiments by Sophie Ward by clicking below.
