Wellbeing Through Fiction

Schedule

Wed Oct 05 2022 at 01:00 pm to 02:00 pm

Location

room 401, 309 Regent St. | London, EN

Advertisement
A shared reading group to promote positive wellbeing for Humanities/Psychology students at the University of Westminster
About this Event

“A book must be an axe for the frozen sea inside of us" (Franz Kafka)

This is a reading group to encourage positive wellbeing through fiction.

The group meets for an hour every fortnight and there is no reading to do before the session; the reading will be provided in the meeting so you just need to turn up and join in... in whatever way you feel comfortable.

Who is it for?

You are welcome to join whatever the state of your current mental health or wellbeing: we hope that everyone can feel a little better by reading together and talking with others in a friendly and safe space.

For reasons of space, for the first semester of this shared reading group attendance will be restricted only to undergraduate or postgraduate students taking Humanities courses(single or combined courses in Creative Writing, Cultural Studies, English Literature, History, Languages, Linguistics, Museums and Galleries) or Psychology courses in the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at the University of Westminster.

If you are a student in Humanities or Psychology and would like to attend the group this semester, please register and attend the first meeting at 1pm on Wednesday 5th October in RS 401.

If you are not taking one of these courses but are interested in joining a future shared reading group, please do sign-up to register your interest in future groups and we will contact you when a suitable group becomes available.

Please register using your University of Westminster email address.

When and where will it take place?

The first meeting will take place from 1pm to 2pm on Wednesday 5th October (teaching Week 2) in room 401, which is on the fourth floor in the University of Westminster's Regent Street building (309 Regent Street, W1B 2HW).

Subsequent sessions of the reading group will meet at the same time and place every fortnight from Wednesday 12th October:

Fortnightly, 1pm to 2pm, in Room 401 on:

Wed 12th October (Week 3)

Wed 25th October (Week 5)

Wed 9th November (Week 7)

Wed 23rd Novembe (Week 9)

Wed 7th December (Week 11)

Why a shared reading group?

Over the last two decades, the vital importance of reading to positive mental health has become increasingly recognized within academic research and therapeutic practice.

Mental Health First Aid England point to research that has shown reading as little as six minutes a day can reduce stress levels by 60% (more effectively than going for a walk) and that reading literature, specifically, can improve levels of empathy and so positively transform the way people interact with the world and others, with the potential to improve self-awareness and mental health more generally.

The University of Liverpool’s Centre for Research into Reading, Literature and Society argues that ‘group reading of fiction and poetry benefits people living with a range of mental health conditions… [and] that literary reading …enhances well-being and quality of life’. Research has suggested that literature ‘offers a model of, and language for, human thinking and feeling with the potential to ‘find’ and alleviate personal trouble'.

For scientific evidence for the effectiveness of reading groups in improving wellbeing and mental health, see: https://readingagency.org.uk/adults/Evidence%20for%20the%20impact%20of%20Reading%20Groups%20on%20health%20and%20wellbeing.docx.

Any questions? Email Matthew Charles (Senior tutor, Humanities): [email protected]

Advertisement

Where is it happening?

room 401, 309 Regent St., 309 Regent Street, London, United Kingdom

Event Location & Nearby Stays:

Tickets

USD 0

School of Humanities, University of Westminster

Host or Publisher School of Humanities, University of Westminster

It's more fun with friends. Share with friends