Get together and read
Course Code: HLT137
Available start dates
Duration: 9 sessions (over 10 weeks)
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What is the course about?
The shared reading group isn’t really a course at all. It is a group that meets weekly to read together and talk – sharing thoughts and experiences and making connections – with the texts and with the wider world.
Fees for this Get Together and Read course are set at more inclusive, lower than standard rates; senior and concessionary rates also apply.
What will we cover?
We will read a wide range of literary texts out loud together, focusing mainly on short stories and poetry. Material will be provided for reading every week.
What will I achieve?
By the end of this course you should be able to...
Coming to the group will enable you to:
• Read and listen to a wide range of literature with others
• Share responses to and thoughts about what you read together
• Begin to make new connections with the texts you read.
What level is the course and do I need any particular skills?
You will need to be able to read and understand texts written in (or translated into) English. You will need to be willing to listen to the thoughts, opinions and personal responses of other people in the group, which may differ from your own.
How will I be taught, and will there be any work outside the class?
The group will be led by a City Lit tutor who has been trained to facilitate shared reading groups by The Reader Organisation. Sessions will consist of texts being read out loud in sections by the facilitator and other group members (although volunteering to read isn't compulsory and you are free to listen if you prefer). Reading will be interspersed with conversation about the texts, exploring your thoughts about and responses to them. All texts will be read out loud, in full, during the sessions: no additional reading or other work is required.
Are there any other costs? Is there anything I need to bring?
There are no other costs. You don’t need to bring anything, although you might want to have a pencil handy, in case you want to jot your thoughts down or mark passages in the text as we are reading. All reading materials will be provided.
When I've finished, what course can I do next?
Look for other Get Together and Read courses offered in terms two (HLT178) and three (HLT163) that are taught by the same tutor. Please see further literature courses under History, Culture and Writing/Literature on the web at www.citylit.ac.uk.
Claire Allen is a published author of fiction and poetry and teaches literature and creative writing at City Lit. Her first two novels, The Mountain of Light and Protection, were published by Headline Review in 2004 and 2006. Her most recent novel, The Blackbird, was published by small independent publisher Henningham Family Press in 2020.
Please note: We reserve the right to change our tutors from those advertised. This happens rarely, but if it does, we are unable to refund fees due to this. Our tutors may have different teaching styles; however we guarantee a consistent quality of teaching in all our courses.