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Andy Burnham Headlines Shared Reading for The Reader Organisation’s Health Communities Conference 16 May 2013

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By CentreForMedicalHumanities.org Research Team | Last verified: September 2026

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Research Summary: Shared Reading for Health Communities

Topic: Shared reading intervention model for public health and social inclusion
Key Application Areas: Mental health, addiction recovery, dementia care, chronic pain management, secure environments
Conference Date & Venue: 16 May 2013, British Library, London
Evidence Grade: Preliminary to moderate—active research studies investigating effects on chronic pain, mental health outcomes, and neurobiological response via brain-imaging.
Mechanism of Action: Facilitates social inclusion and meaningful activity through group-based literary engagement to improve psychological wellbeing and community cohesion.
Clinical Focus: Addresses social determinants of health including isolation, cognitive engagement, and emotional resilience across diverse clinical and non-clinical populations.

Lizzie Cain, Communications Assistant for The Reader Organisation, writes: Andy Burnham MP, Shadow Health Secretary, will be discussing ‘The Books that Built Me’ at The Reader Organisation’s fourth annual national conference, Shared Reading for Healthy Communities, taking place at the British Library on Thursday 16th May.

A supporter of the organisation’s activities, Andy says:

“I have experienced The Reader Organisation’s shared reading groups first-hand and have seen that it’s a brilliant way to bring people together and improve wellbeing in a relaxed and enjoyable atmosphere. As an English graduate myself, I know how important literature is for helping us think about the world we live in and how we relate to others.

I am looking forward to talking to delegates at the Shared Reading for Healthy Communities conference about the impact books have had on my own life and how projects like this can help to create stronger, healthier communities.”

The conference will examine how The Reader Organisation’s pioneering shared reading model addresses the need for social inclusion, meaningful activity and better health in the UK and beyond. Seminars will explore the development of shared reading projects across public and mental health, libraries, education, addiction recovery, and dementia care.

Other speakers at the conference include Professor Louis Appleby, National Clinical Director for Offender Health and Chair of the National Suicide Prevention Advisory Group, who will be discussing ‘Finding A New Language for Mental Health’.

There will be an evaluation session for the Reading in Secure Environments (RISE) pilot project, funded by Arts Council England, as well as the presentation of preliminary findings of a research study investigating the effects of shared reading on people suffering with chronic pain, and a report on poetry and brain-imaging.

For more information on Shared Reading for Healthy Communities, The Reader Organisation’s national conference, please visit the web site.

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