First Meeting

Not having met before, we didn't have a specific book to discuss at our first session. We were very pleased though to have Catherine Johnson come along - a famous author who also happens to live in Hackney.

There was an interesting discussion about what works and what doesn't in books for young people - there was agreement that there was no simple formula, but most people felt the best books were able to cover big issues and difficult subjects in ways that were accessible and entertaining. They might (or might not) be serious, but they should never be boring!

Catherine also gave us an insight into what her life is like as a writer, how she managed to get published and give up making music videos for self-indulgent pop stars - books as the new rock & roll, perhaps?

Launch of the Stamford Hill Library Teenage Reading Group Blog!

Welcome to our blog!

After discussion in the group we thought it would be interesting to have a blog, to record the books we've been reading and share what we thought about them, and to publicise the group to other people who might like to come along.

After each meeting I'll try to knock up a brief summary of the discussion - but other group members are encouraged to add their comments, too! We also welcome interested comments from people who aren't currently members.

The group started in March, and we've had three sessions so far. So, a brief summary...