Reading as participatory art: An alternative mental health therapy

Abstract

Abstract This article outlines the health and well-being impacts of a specific community reading programme, ‘Get into Reading’, pioneered by The Reader Organisation, as demonstrated in a specific health context, Mersey Care NHS Mental Health Trust. The discussion broadly considers the historical positioning of this reading and health experiment, in terms of both mental health and arts-in-health developments and trends. The article also highlights some of the challenges and excitements of seeking to capture the health benefits of reading currently experienced by the Centre for Research into Reading, Information and Linguistic Systems (CRILS) at University of Liverpool.