Reading for Wellbeing

Reading for Wellbeing is a conversation. Please join in.

A gentle, supportive group or individual experience using books and storytelling as a tool for reflection, discussion and emotional healing.

‘Reading for Wellbeing’ was initiated and part funded by award-winning author Ann Cleeves in recognition of the solace Ann has found in stories throughout her life. Ann wanted to give something back to the region given the success of ‘Vera’, which is based in the North East and became a hugely successful television series.

North Devon is the first region outside the North East to pick the scheme up with open and closed groups now underway.

"Stories can be healing. If we’re drowning in chaotic thoughts of our own, to step inside someone else’s head, just for a while, is a kind of freedom. Reading helps us see the world through different eyes and makes us more understanding of different views."

Ann Cleeves

Who is it for?

Accessing stories is an amazing way to immerse yourself in a world outside of the stresses of day to day life. Reading for Wellbeing helps you to discover a way to incorporate words, pictures, audio and visuals into your every day, bringing wellbeing, mindfulness and peace to your busy mind.

It doesn’t matter if you are already an avid bookworm or whether you struggle to finish the first chapter or podcast. Maybe you haven’t looked at a book since school or set foot in a library?

Whatever your story, you are welcome (18+ years).

The focus is on how to incorporate different types of reading into your life be this through story telling, printed books, e-books, magazines, audio books or podcasts. It is all about how you read rather than what you read and the positive impact this can have on your physical, mental and emotional wellbeing.

We look forward to meeting you soon to talk about what reading means to you and how you can turn this into a truly mindful activity.

As part of our Mindful Monday community drop-ins, we are also delighted to give advice and tell you more about Reading for Wellbeing sessions.

Reading for Wellbeing Groups

Our groups provide a safe space, to enable participants to voice an opinion about what you read and how you read it, what you find interesting and what you would to find out more about. Each session focuses on a key theme – for example, ‘Under the Sea’ or ‘Space’ which is purposefully kept quite broad to allow for as wide-ranging conversation as possible.

We are currently running the following Reading for Wellbeing Groups:

First Saturday of every month Sunrise Diversity LGBT+ at the Yes Centre in Barnstaple (closed group)
First Monday of every month in the foyer of Barnstaple Library – free drop-in sessions from 10.00am to 12 noon. Why not join us? We’d love to see you!
First Wednesday of every month at RMB Chivenor (closed group for military wives).
Grow Baby sessions in Bluecoats Primary School in Torrington.

We also promote Reading for Wellbeing in libraries and bookshops, including the Ilfracombe Bookshop with eye-catching creative book installations called ‘Don’t judge a book by its cover.’ Do look out for them!