Reading and Mental Health

This book brings together into one edited volume the most compelling rationales for literary reading and health, the best current practices in this area and state of the art research methodologies. It consolidates the findings and insights of this burgeon

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Reading and Mental Health “This volume constitutes a landmark in health humanities research. Many people assume there must be a positive correlation between literary reading and mental well-being but remarkably few studies have looked at the relationship systematically. This volume is a compendium of the most up-to-date and comprehensive evidence, bringing together a diverse range of researchers, practitioners and policy-makers, to shine a light on this fascinating and tricky area. Josie Billington and her fellow contributors have produced a collection that will be required reading for health humanists, practitioners, psychologists and literary readers.” —Neil Vickers, Professor, Centre for the Humanities and Health, King’s College London “The power of literature to enhance well being and mental health has been increasingly recognized in recent years. This definitive study brings together the relevant practice and research, with contributions from GPs and neurologists as well as literary scholars, and with hard evidence of the benefits of bibliotherapy for those in prisons, hospitals and care homes. Rich both in historical insights and in pointers to how ‘shared reading’ can be developed to alleviate disadvantage and distress, it is a comprehensive and invaluable book.” —Blake Morrison, Poet, Author and Professor of Creative and Life Writing, Goldsmiths, University of London “This is an excellent and long overdue book. It brings together into one volume the full range of thinking - from psychology, medicine, psychoanalysis, literature and neuroscience - on why reading matters to human flourishing. As well as the most recent compelling evidence of the value of reading in clinic and care home, community and secure mental health settings, the book offers persuasive testimony from health professionals and service users who have first-hand knowledge of the transformative power of literary reading. Above all, this book brings shared literary reading powerfully to life. It is an essential read for those new to the shared reading phenomenon and to all who have been part of the journey. This book bears witness to how far we have come.” —Jane Davis, Founder and Director of The Reader

Josie Billington Editor

Reading and Mental Health

Editor Josie Billington Centre for Research into Reading, Literature and Society University of Liverpool Liverpool, UK

ISBN 978-3-030-21761-7 ISBN 978-3-030-21762-4  (eBook) https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-21762-4 © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s), under exclusive license to Springer Nature Switzerland AG, part of Springer Nature 2019 This work is subject to copyright. All rights are solely and exclusively licensed by the Publisher, whether the whole or part of the material is concerned, specifically the rights of translation, reprinting, reuse of illustrations, recitation, broadcasting, reproduction on microfilms or in any other physical way, and transmission or information storage and retrieval, electronic adaptation, computer software, or by similar or dissimilar metho