A book related month

Today I picked up my box of World Book Night books: 20 copies of Sebastian Barry's The Secret Scripture. These will be distributed to people who either can't readily access books or tend not to read and so are missing out on the opportunity to discover new and different realities. Like all other WBN givers, I hope to enable people to try reading something new and perhaps to develop a love for reading.

Reading can help people through difficult and dark times - CS Lewis' quote: 'We read to know we are not alone,' sums it up. Reading can help educate - take just the first four words of that quote and that says it all. Reading can enable us to gain knowledge, form opinions and open up our world. Reading can take us anywhere in the world and out of it too. What else can do that?

In a couple of weeks time I'll be celebrating the launch of Greenacre Writers second anthology, which contains 18 short stories and, in the spirit of all the WBN books, 2 poems as well.  Join other members of Greenacre Writers and me at Cafe Buzz, on Sunday 28th April at 3.00pm to hear some of the authors reading brief extracts and buy a copy or two. Cafe Buzz, 783 High Road, North Finchley, N12 8JY.

Then to round off a literary month, on 17th and 18th May we'll be holding the second Greenacre Writers Literary Festival. Do join us.