Reading has always given me immense pleasure and joy. Sadly, there are many people for whom reading and writing has been a struggle, and I want to help as many people as I can to overcome any difficulties they’ve had with literacy, so that they can get the same pleasure as I do from books.
I am proud to have contributed 2 novels to the Open Door series, which, among many others, includes Patricia Scanlan, Marian Keyes, Cathy Kelly, Roddy Doyle, Dermot Bolger and Deirdre Purcell. These short novels are written for adults who have had problems with reading in the past, or who have come to reading late in life. They are also widely read by students of English. In addition to the Open Door series, I’ve also contributed a novel to the Quick Reads series in the UK.
I was also involved in 2011 with the RTE series, A Story With Me In It, in which I worked with a mum who had struggled with her reading and writing in the past, to help her produce a story of her own. Catherine worked fantastically hard and I was really proud the day she stood up and read her own story! In 2013, I again took part in an RTE series, The Family Project, where the three Lynch children, Lydia, Jonathan and Aaron wrote and illustrated their own book, much to the delight of their mum Donna. At a great launch night, they sold out The Adventures of Super Moose!
If you or anyone you know would like more information on Adult Literacy, try visiting:
National Adult Literacy Agency
UK Literary Association
National Literacy Trust
Quick Reads