We take writing and the written word so much for granted and yet it has only been since the Education Act of 1870 that Elementary learning for 5 to 12 year olds, and the Education Act of 1947 which extended that to15, became available for all children regardless of levels of income, social status, ethnic background, class or religious persuasion. So a comparatively recent affair where every individual who may have something they wish to relate to others, in word form, has the ability to do so.

When I first started publishing back in the 1980’s some 70,000 books were published every year in the United Kingdom, that figure now fluctuates around the 140,000 mark which means that many more people are now able to express themselves through the act of creative writing than ever before. Whether their efforts are finally put into print or not may be of little consequence to those whose ‘soul’ aim or need may purely be the act of self-expression itself.

So it is with a measure of sobriety that I wish to celebrate National Book Week as I am concerned at some of the figures which show a dramatic fall in the amount of books read by students in full-time education for instance and in Further Education in particular, usually an area where book-worms run riot. Reading has traditionally been something which we are taught; the ‘habit’ comes from parents, grandparents and other friends or relations reading to us almost from conception. We then learn from watching other members of the family gaining pleasure and relaxation from curling up somewhere with a book, so we ‘try it out’ for ourselves.

Now with so many visual images created by others bombarding our minds from various sized screens our own imaginations have little chance to operate. Reading a book allows that process to happen as we naturally form pictures in our minds of the characters and places described – the imaginal happening within us as we read. And it follows that when we exercise and allow that process, so we create the right atmosphere for our own creativity to ‘happen’. We feel better about ourselves.

Thankfully some schools and libraries will be celebrating this most important of events in our yearly cycle, so why not treat yourself, and those you share your life with, to a good read and don’t forget to celebrate the fact that you can.

Middle Street, Yeovil, BA20 1LG – 20th Jan 2012

The Arcade, Bournemouth, BH1 2AH – 21st Jan 2012

East Street, Bridport, DT6 3JX – 27th Jan 2012

Above Bar, Southampton, SO14 7FE – 28th Jan 2012

Thackery Mall, Fareham, PO16 0PQ – 3rd Feb 2012

South Street, Dorchester, DT1 1DQ – 4th Feb 2012

High Street, Salisbury, SP1 2NJ – 7th Feb 2012

West Quay, Southampton, SO15 1QE – 11th Feb 2012

High Street, Lymington, SO41 9AP – 18th Feb 2012

The following Waterstones are on the point of arranging signings/ events for the New Year – dates to follow shortly:
East Street, Taunton, TA1 3LU -
High Street, Salisbury, SP1 2NJ -
Milsom Street, Bath, BA1 1DA -

Watch out for BBC Radio Somerset – coming soon

Keep checking the blog as new dates are being added daily.