Reading is such an important part of being a writer, a key tool in any writer’s kit that helps us fuel our creativity and sharpen our craft.
Immersing ourselves in different styles, voices, and genres exposes writers to new ways of thinking, helping us to develop our own unique perspective. It's like a behind-the-scenes look at storytelling: observing how others structure narratives, shape characters, and create emotional impact. Same goes for poetry.
Beyond technique, reading broadens a writer’s worldview and helps us move beyond our own personal echo chambers. Whether it’s exploring unfamiliar cultures, wrestling with complex ideas, or simply seeing life through someone else's lens, reading builds empathy and depth. It also strengthens our critical thinking, offering insights into what works and why—making every book both a mirror and a mentor.
2026 has just been announced as the National Year of Reading in the UK and we’re right behind it - for adults as well as children. Kicking off a touch early in late October 2025, we’re launching an in-person poetry reading group that will take the TS Eliot Prize shortlist as our starting point for discussions. The group will look at two poets from the shortlist in each of the five sessions leading up to early January when the winner will be announced. Whether you're a lifelong poetry lover or just starting out and curious to read more poetry, this will be a welcoming space to read, reflect, and connect through some of the most powerful voices in poetry today.
Poetry asks us to slow down, to sit with ambiguity, and to engage deeply with language and emotion—things that resist automation. As machines get better at mimicking thought, the act of truly human thinking becomes a kind of quiet resistance. You don’t have to be a poet or even an avid poetry reader to come along, you just need to have an interest in stretching your mind, sharpening your attention and celebrating the irreplaceable richness of human creativity—together.
Each session runs 1pm – 2.45pm and take place at the recently refurbished Coach House (Scout Hut), 74 Chapel Street, Stroud, Glos, GL5 1DU. Starts 24th October. The sessions will be facilitated by JLM Morton.
Cost: £60 / £50 concessions.
We hope to see you there!
While you’re here, forgive us for going off piste for just a moment to tell you about the show Lost Mythos that we - Juliette and Emma - have been touring of late. Our last show of this leg of the tour is this Thursday, 7.30pm, at Kingshill House in Dursley.
We've been lucky enough to share Lost Mythos to full houses and absolutely packed out crowds so far but for some reason the last show at Dursley has sold a mere 14 tickets. We'd love to end on a high before we have a few months' break so please help us spread the word or come and join us?!
Our show is eccentric, fun and moving all at once. With anarchic wit, bathos and beauty, Lost Mythos explores what it might mean to conjure the past when the future is so uncertain and to reconnect more deeply with the more than human and the places we call home. But don't just take our word for it, here's what others are saying...
