Rules were relaxed, and speaking was allowed in the Library on Thursday, as we celebrated World Book Day. Volunteers took turns to read for five minutes from their favourite books, and listeners were introduced to a wide range of literature. We heard extracts from children’s books, C19th and modern classics; foreign and British authors; poetry and prose. From Beowulf (including a passage read in the original) to Mr Gum and the Secret Hideout (which had just as many unfamiliar words as Beowulf), I think everyone, however well-read, was intrigued by something new. For me, two of the most apt extracts were read in our last session. Michael Truss chose to read from Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451, in which a ‘fireman’ is, of course, not someone who extinguishes fires, but rather has the job of burning books. Jo Mayhook-Walker read The Gardener, a short story by Rudyard Kipling, reflecting his experience of losing his son in WW1 and the creation of the War Graves Commission. The story mentions the prevalence of meningitis in the training camps, which was particularly poignant as the latest death marked in the Library display commemorating our WW1 dead was due to meningitis. Read World Book Day recommended lesson from Bedales Head of English David Anson, as featured in The Guardian.
By Jane Kirby, Librarian