Reach Out and Read this Summer

Get more out of your reading...


Welcome to Your Summer Reads; a chance for you to read six great books from six great authors that will take you across the world in style. Your six summer reads are:

The Lessons by Naomi Alderman
Summertime by JM Coetzee
The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper
Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell
The Widow’s Tale by Mick Jackson
Tail of the Blue Bird by Nii Ayikwei Parkes

Sam Ruddock, book lover and reviewer who works at Writers’ Centre Norwich says;  "Summer is the perfect time to lose yourself in an enjoyable, stimulating and well written book. Whatever your reading preference there is something for you here.. I loved them all and look forward to talking books with you soon!”

Scroll down to find out more about the books and about our communal reading event that could really zest up your summer. The idea is that you take it as far as you want. You might perhaps just want to read some good books; and these are just the ticket - or  you could get further involved by sharing your thoughts on the books, meeting new people, coming to events and perhaps winning all six books. Scroll down to find out more.

You can...

Buy or borrow the books
We’ve teamed up with Norfolk Libraries and bookshops to make sure all the books are readily available near you.

Download extra information on all the books and authors
Read extracts from the books; find out more about them through exclusive interviews with the authors and extensive Reading Guides and find more great books to read with carefully selected further reading suggestions. Scroll down and click the links at the bottom of each book’s information.

Join the conversation online
See what other readers have to say about the books by joining in the daily conversation through Twitter and Facebook. Watch out for the specific dates we’ll be discussing each book. Your discussion and the campaign will be led by Writers’ Centre’s Sam Ruddock and here he explains a bit more about how it all works.

Join our Summer Reads Book Club
If you prefer things in the real world then make your reading a social event this summer with the Summer Reads Book Club led by Sam Ruddock. These friendly open sessions will take place every other Tuesday between June 15th and August 24th at bookshops and libraries around Norwich. Come on, don’t be shy, we’d love to meet you.
Full information and dates.

Meet the authors at events in June
Whether you’ve read the books or not, come and hear our Summer Reads authors reading at some fantastic events in Norwich this June. Your Summer Reads event.

Take part in competitions
Win signed collections of all the books and other prizes in our selection of competitions.


 
The Lessons by Naomi Alderman
In a crumbling Oxford mansion the charismatic Mark Winters gathers around him a group of fellow students. For a while they share his privileged life of parties, learning and love. But as Mark’s behaviour becomes ever more erratic, it becomes clear they all still have a lot to learn...

“Witty, dark and compelling.”
Charlotte Mendelson

Sam says:
“The Lessons is an uncomfortably familiar tale of expectant youth, and how the lessons in life often come too late.”


 • Author biography and book synopsis
• Read an extract from The Lessons
• See what The Guardian and The Independent thought of The Lessons
• Get more out of your reading with The Lessons Reading Guide
• Hear what Naomi has to say about The Lessons in our exclusive interview
• If you liked The Lessons, you’ll love...
• Buy The Lessons online from Penguin, Amazon or Waterstone’s
• Win all six Summer Reads books with The Lessons competition
• Discuss The Lessons online with WCNsam on Twitter and on the Facebook WCN Book Club page: 7th-20th June • The Lessons Book Club meeting: Waterstone’s, Castle Street, Norwich, Tuesday 15th June, 6pm  


Summertime by JM Coetzee
A young English biographer is trying to find out about the writer John Coetzee as he was in his thirties and sets about interviewing people who were close to him at that time. Heartbreaking and very funny, Summertime shows a great writer as he limbers up for his task.

“Has a humour and humanity that should win new fans.”
The Independent

Sam says:
“Coetzee at his most human. Passionate, illuminating and razor-sharp, it’s a stunning work of semi-biographical fiction.”


• Author biography and book synopsis
• Read an extract from Summertime
• See what The Telegraph and The Independent thought of Summertime
• Get more out of your reading with our Summertime Reading Guide
• If you liked Summertime, you'll love...
• Buy Summertime online from Random House, Amazon or Waterstone’s
• Win all six Summer Reads books with our Summertime competition
• Discuss Summertime online with WCNsam on Twitter and on the Facebook WCN Book Club page:  21st June – 4th July
• Summertime Book Club meeting: Waterstone’s, Royal Arcade, Norwich, Tuesday 29th June 6pm


The Tall Man by Chloe Hooper
When a 36 year old Aboriginal man is arrested for swearing, no-one from his community imagines that he’ll be dead within 45 minutes. The Police claim he fell on a step, yet the pathologist says he has injuries consistent with a plane crash...

“It is impossible to overestimate the importance of this book.”
Peter Carey

Sam says:
“Atmospheric, gritty and original, Hooper’s journalistic account absorbed me with its mix of Aboriginal myth, Australian history and shocking revelations.”

• Author biography and book synopsis
• Read an extract from The Tall Man
• See what The Telegraph and The Guardian thought of The Tall Man
• Get more out of your reading with The Tall Man Reading Guide
• Hear what Chloe has to say about The Tall Man in our exclusive interview
• If you liked The Tall Man, you’ll love…
• Buy The Tall Man online from Random House, Amazon or Waterstone’s
• Win all six Summer Reads books with The Tall Man competition
• Discuss The Tall Man online with WCNsam on Twitter and on the Facebook WCN Book Club page: 5th-18th July
• The Tall Man Book Club Session: Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library, Norwich, Tuesday 13th July, 6pm

Everything Beautiful by Simmone Howell
Riley Rose, atheist and all-round rebel has been tricked by her father and his irritating new girlfriend into spending her summer at Spirit Ranch Holiday Camp. There, she meets Dylan Luck, recent paraplegic and fellow misfit-on-a-mission, and together they turn the camp upside down.

“Everything a good book should be. It’s good. Very good.”
Bookwitch

Sam says:
“Outrageous and very funny; Riley’s dreaded week away turns into a dramatic coming-of-age experience. Written for teenagers, but great for adults too.”


• Author biography and book synopsis
• Read an extract from Everything Beautiful
• See what Bookwitch thought of Everything Beautiful
• Hear what Simmone has to say about Everything Beautiful in our exclusive interview
• If you liked Everything Beautiful, you’ll love…
• Buy Everything Beautiful online from Bloomsbury, Amazon or Waterstone’s
• Win all six Summer Reads books with our Everything Beautiful competition
• Discuss Everything Beautiful online with WCNsam on Twitter and on the Facebook WCN Book Club page: 19th July-1st August
• Everything Beautiful, Book Club Session: The Book Hive, Norwich, Tuesday 27th July, 6pm


The Widow’s Tale by Mick Jackson
A woman runs out of her house, gets in her car and starts driving. And carries on until she reaches the Norfolk coast. There she rents a cottage and hides away, contemplating the recent death of her husband. After a few drunken walks however, memories of another man start to crop up...

“Very funny. You never know this woman’s name but, my God, you know her voice...”
The Times

Sam says:
“Shot through with gallows humour, The Widow’s Tale takes you on a tour of the north Norfolk coast in the company of a wonderfully unapologetic narrator you cannot help but love.”

• Author biography and book synopsis
• Read an extract from The Widow’s Tale
• See what The Times and The Guardian thought of The Widow’s Tale
• Get more out of your reading with The Widow’s Tale Reading Guide
• Hear what Mick has to say about The Widow’s Tale in our exclusive interview, or...
• ... send in your own questions and we'll post the answers here by Friday 13th August
• If you liked The Widow’s Tale, you’ll love…
• Buy The Widow’s Tale online from Faber, Amazon or Waterstone’s
• Win all six Summer Reads books with The Widow's Tale competition
• Discuss The Widow's Tale online with WCNsam on Twitter and on the Facebook WCN Book Club
• The Widow’s Tale Book Club Session: Cafe Metro, Jarrold, Norwich, Tuesday 10th August, 6pm page: 2nd-15th August


Tail of the Blue Bird by Nii Ayikwei Parkes
Kayo and his sidekick detective are sent to investigate a disturbing event in a remote Ghanaian village. However, events prove hard to explain and otherworldly happenings leave Kayo struggling with his scientific world-view.

“This is a delightful book...”
The Independent

Sam says:
“Driven by its questing hero Kayo, Tail of the Blue Bird is a mythology-infused mystery that reflects the clash between tradition and modernity in Ghana today.”


• Author biography and book synopsis
• Read an extract from Tail of the Blue Bird
• See what The Independent and The Telegraph thought of Tail of the Blue Bird
• Get more out of your reading with our Tail of the Blue Bird Reading Guide
• Hear what Nii has to say about Tail of the Blue Bird in our exclusive interview
• If you liked Tail of the Blue Bird, you’ll love…
• Buy Tail of the Blue Bird online from Random House, Amazon and Waterstone’s
• Win all six Summer Reads books with our Tail of the Blue Bird competition
• Discuss Tail of the Blue Bird online with WCNsam on Twitter and on the Facebook WCN Book Club page: 16th-30th August
• Tail of the Blue Bird Book Club Session: Writers’ Centre Norwich, 14 Princes St, Norwich, Tuesday 24th August, 6pm

Summer Reads is a project run by Writers' Centre Norwich - a literature development agency based in Norwich. We are interested in both the artistic and social impact of creative writing, and work with writers, readers and diverse communities on a wide range of ongoing and one off projects and events.

Whether you're into writing, reading, freedom of expression and more, by visiting our homepage you can take a journey to find information tailored to your needs, including news of author readings, writing workshops and competitions, and news about our Worlds Literature Festival in June.

Find out more and sign up for news at the top of this page - we'll be in touch!