New podcast episode explores how reading brings people together

The second of our special Derby Book Festival podcast episodes is now live, bringing together author conversations, festival reflections and audience voices exploring one simple question: How does reading bring people together?

Recorded during the Festival in May, this new episode of A Shared Reading Podcast by Derby Book Festival continues our Summer Festival feature series, capturing some of the conversations, stories and moments of connection from across our special podcast recordings.

Hosted by Shared Reading volunteers Ellie and Steve, the episode features interviews with authors Joanna Cannon, Patrick Gale and Gilly McArthur, as well as reflections from Derby Book Festival Director Sian Hoyle.

It’s the second of three special festival episodes recorded as part of this year’s Derby Book Festival, sharing voices from writers, readers, festival-goers and the wider Derby Book Festival community.

Reading, connection and community

For anyone who came along to Derby Book Festival this year, the episode offers another chance to revisit the atmosphere of the Festival, the conversations sparked by books, the joy of hearing from writers, and the sense of community that happens when people gather around stories and ideas.

This episode also includes audience responses to our Festival question: How does reading bring people together? From shared memories and lively discussion to quiet moments of recognition, these reflections capture some of the many ways books can open up conversation, build connection and help people feel part of something shared.

In this episode

Joanna Cannon, author of An Unlikely Visitor, joins us to talk about writing, reading and the ideas behind her work.

Patrick Gale, author of Love Lane, speaks to us about his writing, characters and the role stories can play in helping us understand ourselves and one another.

Sian Hoyle, Derby Book Festival Director, reflects on this year’s Festival, what stood out, and why bringing people together around books continues to matter.

Gilly McArthur, author of The Beauty of Cold, talks about cold water, joy, connection and the restorative power of nature.

Together, these conversations offer a rich and varied glimpse into the Festival, moving from fiction and character to nature, wellbeing, community and the many ways reading can connect us.

Listen now

You can listen to the episode here

The podcast is also available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and wherever you usually listen to podcasts.

If you enjoy the episode, please do follow or subscribe, download the episode and share it with anyone who loves books, conversation and community. It really helps more people discover the podcast and learn about Shared Reading.

New to the podcast?

A Shared Reading Podcast by Derby Book Festival celebrates local voices, community connection and the conversations that begin when we read together.

Each episode gives a flavour of our Shared Reading programme with warm, welcoming conversations inspired through reading and sharing stories, poems and other short texts. Across the series, we’ve featured local writers, Shared Reading volunteers and participants sharing their experiences of reading, connection and community.

You can also catch up on our previous episodes here, including the first Festival special episode and our pilot episode, which is a great place to start if you’d like to understand more about Shared Reading.

What is Shared Reading?

Shared Reading is a simple, welcoming way to enjoy stories, poems and other short texts in a group. A trained volunteer reads aloud, then everyone is invited to chat about whatever the words bring up - memories, feelings, ideas, favourite lines, or anything else that comes to mind. There’s no prep, no pressure and no need to be a literature expert. You can share as much or as little as you like, or simply listen. We run Shared Reading groups across Derby and Derbyshire, including in community venues, libraries, cafés, healthcare settings and online. Find out more about our Shared Reading groups here.

Could you help keep the podcast going?

We’d love to keep growing A Shared Reading Podcast by Derby Book Festival and continue sharing local voices, author conversations and stories of reading, wellbeing and connection.

To make that possible, we’re looking for support from individuals and organisations who can help us sustain the series. This could include sponsoring an episode, supporting a future season, sharing the podcast through your networks, including it in a newsletter, website or social post, or offering in-kind support such as recording space, promotion, design, photography or other practical help.

Sponsorship starts from £100 for community support, with options to sponsor or co-sponsor individual episodes and seasons. If you or your organisation would like to support a community podcast that celebrates reading, creativity, wellbeing and connection, we’d love to have a conversation: shared.reading@derbybookfestival.co.uk