Kenilworth bookshop project aims to get town reading and talking about same book

The Tree House Bookshop in The Square has launched ‘Kenilworth Reads’ - a project aiming to foster a sense of community in Kenilworth through reading.

The bookshop’s owner Victoria Mier was inspired by a similar project in Bristol, known as the ‘Great Reading Adventure’, which she found when she used to live in the city.

Victoria said: “It’s an idea to get people in Kenilworth reading one book and talking about it as a communal activity. It worked really well in Bristol.

“Kenilworth’s a fairly small town so it could be an easy thing to get off the ground.

“It’s encouraging people to read in a slightly different way and create a buzz around one book.”

The first book in the Kenilworth Reads project will be Leamington author Kit de Waal’s novel ‘My Name is Leon’ - about an eight-year-old boy whose mother struggles to raise him and her new baby from a different father.

Victoria chose the book due to de Waal’s local connection, her forthcoming appearance at September’s Kenilworth Arts Festvial, and its accessibility.

She said: “I wanted to pick something that would have quite a wide appeal. It’s probably not suitable for kids, but teenagers can read it.

“It’s also quite a thought-provoking book and a really good story.”

Anyone reading the book and taking part in Kenilworth Reads will be able to discuss it on the Facebook group ‘Kenilworth Reads’, or face-to-face in the shop on dates to be confirmed.

Victoria also hopes to run a similar project around Christmas.