John Jarrold

Take a journey with the South West Reading Passport 2014 **For Immediate Release**

Delve into the dark, get passionate, wax lyrical and look into the future with reading this autumn.  That’s the tempting offer from this year’s South West Reading Passport.

Now in its third year the Reading Passport project supports library membership and writers by offering an innovative and engaging way to encourage readers to explore a wider range of reading for pleasure. It is a well-established and popular brand in the region’s reader development and library promotions calendar.

This year’s programme is bigger than ever with free events with authors at libraries around the South West and a website developed by Literature Works www.readingpassport.org.  The project is a partnership between the South Western Regional Library Service (SWRLS), Literature Works and the Royal Literary Fund and has also received a grant from Arts Council England.

20,000 passports will be circulated this autumn through public and, for the first time, college, university, health and specialist libraries in the South West region.  Four ‘worlds’ have been selected to reflect different genres of writing and readers will be taken on a journey through the macabre mixed with bittersweet romance via sci-fi with a twist and settling back with a poem or two.

Events will be specifically programmed to bring best-selling writers to areas which tend to miss out on organised author tours due to the prohibitive cost of travel or the pressure on local resources. The writers will also contribute to the Reading Passport website www.readingpassport.org with the aim of extending the reach of the project to new audiences.

Four featured writers, Patrick Gale, Adam Neville, Gareth L Powell and Julia Copus (a Royal Literary Fund Fellow), will  bring the Reading Passport to life,  visiting libraries to meet readers through  public talks and workshops to support the Passport content and the website www.readingpassport.org.

A competition based on written reviews completed via the website or a review sheet available from libraries, runs until December 30, 2014.  For more details see the website www.readingpassport.org or pick up a form.

Paul Leivers, Chair of SWRLS says “When library budgets are under intense pressure it is essential to develop initiatives which promote and grow library use and membership. Initiatives like the Reading Passport are a fantastic way to grow the number and diversity of library users and promote all the benefits of reading.  SWRLS is delighted to be extending the Reading Passport project throughout the SWRLS membership, as well as with the Royal Literary Fund”.

Tracey Guiry, CEO of Literature Works says “Literature Works supports creative writing and reading initiatives in the South West and the Reading Passport is a great example of what can be achieved when local agencies, local libraries and local writers work together.  This is a simple, fun offer to both support writers and to develop new readers for their work, and we’re looking forward to seeing how the online presence can grow the project’s reach.”

Editors notes:

The Reading Passport project is a reader development initiative led by SWRLS in partnership with Literature Works and the 15 public library authorities and 36 academic/special/health libraries across the South West England. The project will also be supported by the Royal Literature Fund through their Fellowship Programme, to provide writers and resources to libraries.  There are over 930,000 library members in the South West’s public library sector and some 400 libraries support an estimated 1,500 reading groups.

 

Author visits

Thursday 9 October,             2 p.m.	Bridgwater Library, Somerset	Adam Nevill & Gareth L. Powell	0845 345 9177
Thursday 16 October, 7 p.m.	Saltash Library, Cornwall	Patrick Gale & Julia Copus	0300 123 4111
Thursday 6 November, 7 p.m.	Yeovil College, Somerset	Adam Nevill & Gareth L. Powell	01935 845450
Tuesday 18 November 7 p.m.	Winter Gardens, Weston-Super-Mare, Somerset	Patrick Gale & Julia Copus	01934 426010
Thursday 27 November 7.30 p.m.	Trowbridge Library, Wiltshire	Patrick Gale and Julia Copus	01225 716700
Thursday 4 December	Gloucester Library	Adam Nevill & Gareth L. Powell	0845 2305420

Author visits are free but must be booked in advance.

South West Regional Library Services(SWRLS) www.swrls.org.uk  is a Charity which exists to promote co-operation in the South West region between public, academic and specialist library members, arrange loans between regional libraries, maintain access to collections and in general terms promote the principle of community education. It has run a successful grant scheme since 2011 which fosters and encourages cooperation between libraries through increased partnership working and access to collections. SWRLS works in partnership with the Society for Chief Librarians (SCL) and the Chartered Institute of Library and Information Professionals (CILIP) to provide training opportunities and share best practice and is one of three collaboration charities in the library sector unique in its active delivery of joint projects and partnership working.

Main contact: director@swrls.org.uk  or T: 07947 636301 (Mon-Fri 9-12)

Literature Works is a literature development agency and an Arts Council national portfolio organisation for the South West of England. They bring together all elements of the literature sector, writers, poets, libraries, booksellers, publishers, agents, schools and communities of readers in ways that strengthen and sustain the whole. They enable the best talent to develop and ensure that the very best writing and reading opportunities are made available to the widest and most diverse audiences and communities. They provide information, news and resources via their website www.literatureworks.org.uk . To find out more about the First Page Prize and to read the winning first page sign up to receive their newsletter at http://www.literatureworks.org.uk/Literature-Works-Newsletter

Main press contact: Tracey Guiry, CEO Literature Works, ceo@literatureworks.org.uk or T: 01752 585070, or via Kate Wilson, Co-ordinator, kate@literatureworks.org.uk or T:01752 585073

The Royal Literary Fund Fellow scheme, launched in 1999, places established and high quality writers into Universities across the UK and has the aim of promoting education and raising literacy levels. Their outreach programme encompasses the placing of Fellows in academic settings to raise the presentation of students work.  Contact: Steve Cook, rlitfund@btconnect.com