One City One Book sparks reading revolution

What is it about reading together that gives us so much satisfaction? The success of book clubs shows that sharing our opinions of books we have read is central to the joy of reading.

Maybe it was this instinct that led Nancy Pearl in the Seattle public library to start the One City One Book phenomenon back in 1998. It was adopted all over the US, and then in other countries, including Ireland. Dublin's One City One Book has had great success, with this year's poetry anthology If Ever You Go to be followed in 2015 with Roddy Doyle's Barrytown Trilogy. Belfast and Derry have done it too.

There are several One County One Book schemes around the country too. Clare County Library, for example, this year chose two books about Brian Boru by Morgan Llywelyn – one for children, the other for adults – which built on interest stimulated by the millennium of his death. The author gave readings, there were history workshops and other events, all dovetailing with the anniversary and bringing parents and children into libraries all over the county.

The Meath library service has chosen to launch its 2014 One County One Book in time for the autumn and winter evenings. Last year it chose Mary Lavin's short story collection Happiness and tied it in with its annual Mary Lavin season. Her short-story collection The Patriot Son is this year's book. Luckily the library had a stash of the now out of print volume, donated by the author almost 50 years ago. The Mary Lavin season adds value to the reading experience, with the screening of a 1974 RTÉ dramatisation of The Cuckoo Spit, starring Siobhán McKenna, a highlight on October 29th at the Solstice Arts Centre.

Monaghan County Library chose Joan Lingard's The 12th Day of July for its inaugural One County One Book last year. The organisers found that having a children's book helped them to build relationships with schools, children and parents. Adult book clubs read it too, as did VEC adult learning groups and others. Apparently, many younger readers turned out to be unaware of the Troubles' impact until they read the novel.

Tipperary, Sligo and Kildare are among others for whom the concept has worked, and there are smaller community versions of it in other areas. It’s still going strong in the US and Canada too. And Nancy Pearl is still out there promoting reading at every opportunity.