IN DEPTH
Reading for Pleasure Book Club Bunch
Book Club Bunch on engaging young readers
The brainchild of a mother who wanted to encourage her son to foster a love of reading for pleasure has grown into an initiative that employs actors to deliver dramatic readings to youngsters up and down the country
T
Nuray Bulbul @auburnray7
he kernel of the idea for Book Club Bunch (BCB) came from a place very close to home for founder Melissa Haggist. Four years ago she was trying to think of ways of geting her son and his male friends more engaged in reading. She says: “As the mother of a litle boy, I was aware that reading and literacy is more of a challenge for boys. And this, coupled with those early academic expectations, can create a stressful childhood. I wanted to make a safe, non-assessed space with no pres- sure for kids, so they could just enjoy the pleasure
of listening to a story.”
She hit on a relatively simple but seemingly untapped idea: why not start a company of professional actors who will read to children at bookshops and schools in order to really bring books to life? So, in 2017 in the downstairs corner of Waterstones’ King’s Road branch, London, what was then called Book Club Boys was born. Aſter a few successful sessions, Haggist decided to broaden the scope and the model was changed to make the clubs available for boys and girls (and the current company name was introduced) but the core mission remained the same. She says: “It’s about helping children fall in love with reading through the simple giſt of reading aloud to them. We try to associate books with entertainment, relaxation and fun to create a desirabilit around reading that motivates young people to become independent readers.”
The fun side Haggist says that, yes, there is a lot of fun with actors hamming it up: puting on voices, dramatising key moments in the books and really selling the funny bits. But there is a more serious side to project, in what she calls “stealth learning”: the actors lead children in discussions aſter the readings, help with tricky or new vocabulary, and provide historical and real-world context for the stories.
MATTHEW PETER- CARTER (RIGHT) ENGAGES YOUNG READERS IN-STORE
20 15th June 2021
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