Prisons: Book of the Month leads to deeper conversations
HMP Standford Hill – one of the 30 prisons for which MK College Group runs education services – runs its own Book of the Month Club. The initiative encourages learners to engage with reading and improve their literacy and has included Remembrance Day commemorations and A Christmas Carol themed Christmas market.
Tracy Hyder, Education Manager at HMP Standford Hill, tells us more about the Book of the Month Club, how it’s working and the impact the books they choose have on their learners.
How do choose your featured books for the Book of the Month?
“We use the College Group’s equality calendar. During our Reading Culture Committee Meetings, where all are invited – staff, partners, stakeholders and learners – we decide on a theme from the awareness days for each month, calling upon our learners for their thoughts and suggestions.
“Once the themes have been selected, we go through the same process, using the chosen theme to locate a suitable book. For example, for May, we’ve chosen Mental Health awareness. Between the 12th to 19th May we will discuss Mental Health Awareness throughout the department, and we’ll have About A Boy, by Nick Hornby as our Book of the Month.
“The reason the learners chose this book is because in November, Nick Hornby was the author of the Book of the Month and they liked his writing so much, that they wanted to read another book of his, and a bonus is that they can watch the film at the end of the month also.”
What sort of books do the learners engage most with?
“The one book that sparked the most conversations, well into the following month, wasn’t a book. In fact, it was a selection of short stories about Paralympians.
“We closed the month with the film “The Best of Men” which not only taught me some valuable lessons but spurred the men on to openly discuss empathy in a way that I had never witnessed before.”
What’s been the most successful book you’ve chosen so far?
“The most successful, is hard to judge, but this month’s choice of Schindler’s List could be a contender. The men who come into the department will often stop at the door to discuss the choice, what they are looking forward to learning, if they have heard of it, and most of all this month, hearing them telling their peers that it is a great historical story.”
Can you tell us about some of the other activities that you do that are linked to the books you focus on?
“We read A Handmaid’s Tale in March to link with International Women’s Day.
“We celebrated multiple female authors through our month, with short snippets of various books to entice and encourage the learners. We had displays through the department of female figures who have contributed to British life and we also promoted and celebrated women at Standford Hill.
“A learner created a short course, that he delivered, with the topic of misogyny, which he delivered during our enrichment evening sessions. It was really well received by the prison population.”
Which book are you most looking forward to this year?
“Personally, I am looking forward to August. We are going to be reading Stand by Me, a Stephen King classic.
“It is my trifecta, the book, the film and song are my favourites of all time. There is something so nostalgic about it, that I think the learners will resonate with it.”
How does the Book of the Month initiative support the learners with their wider learning?
“The learners themselves are very positive about the initiative and how it has supported them”:
The film was really different to the book, I still don’t know which one I like best.
I like the display as it is different every time (month) so it makes me want to get involved.
The learning about the beginning of the Paralympics really inspired me the most. It motivated me and gave me the willpower to keep going, as things can get you down sometimes.
“The Book of the Month Club helps to break down barriers for emergent readers and those who believe you need to be strong reader to enjoy a good book. The entire department are involved in bringing the book to life, with discussion and alternative reading versions of material. Bringing non-learners into the department for the book of the month, or the Tuesday Project (where we show the film adaptation) opening up the site to a wider audience. Showcasing the relaxed approach to reading and learning. It is often not long before they change from non-learners to enrolling in one of our fabulous courses.”
To find out more about our prison education services, visit Prison Services – MK College