Shared Connection: The Shared Reading group bringing people together even in the most unlikely of places

Squeezed in between a Subway sandwich store and Chopz dog grooming salon in Liverpool’s Belle Vale Shopping Centre is the BIG Little Library, a much-loved free community drop-in book hub. Here, The Reader has been running a weekly Shared Reading group for the last two years.  

Retired hospital porter Mike, aged 80, was one of its first members and explains why he keeps coming back... 

“’This is something you will like’ is what my cousin Paula said to me when she first heard about a new Shared Reading group in Belle Vale Shopping Centre two years ago. 

My family all know I’m into books – I’m always reading and have a bookcase full of books. They always give me book vouchers at Christmas and birthdays.  

I have been coming to the group ever since as I live nearby. I usually go to the shops afterwards.  

I really enjoy Shared Reading. It’s good when we come here and read aloud, it makes me feel better. You can lose yourself. I don’t drink - I just can’t - but I can lose myself in different worlds in a story. Shared Reading takes you out of yourself. 

A lot of the books we read I would not normally choose myself, including the one we read an extract from today – Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee.  

I was brought up in children’s homes. My dad was in the Merchant Navy and my mum was from Liverpool.  

I went to a children’s home in Liverpool run by Barnardo’s which had a school, a church, a hospital and swimming baths. I was there until I was seven.  

I was moved to an Isle of Man’s Children Home, then at 15 left to join the Merchant Navy. For the next 12 years I travelled the world. I started off as a galley boy then became the ship’s baker, then cook. 

After I left, I worked as a porter. I retired 13 years ago from Broadgreen Hospital.  

‘Listening to people read aloud and talk about books makes me feel better’ 

As a child I was always into adventure stories, then I discovered The Famous Five – and read all of them!  

I like listening to Professor Brian Cox and other astrophysicists as well, as I particularly like listening to people talk about science, earth and the universe. I just enjoy it - it’s like going back to learn things I didn’t learn at school. I’d say to anyone thinking of joining ‘just give it a go’.”  

The BIG Little Library pop-up was first set up by Gateacre School, Liverpool in 2015 inside a vacant shop unit at Belle Vale Shopping Centre. 

Book lovers just go in, choose what they like and take them away. Unlike a regular library, there is no need to return the books because the BIG Little Library has enough donations to keep the shelves well-stocked.  

So far, over the last nine years, they have given away 250,000 books. 

It has 80 to 100 visitors a day and is run by a team of dedicated volunteers. Their visitor's book is crammed full of appreciative comments. 

Lisa Mitchell, Community Coordinator, Gateacre School, Liverpool, who set up BIG Little Library, said: “What originally began with me asking for a table to give away books for free on World Book Day grew into an unofficial community library. 

“We have been in four different units since we launched - the shopping centre told us the footfall in our section went up 10%.  

“It’s the obvious place for a Shared Reading group and was one of the first things people were asking for when we opened. It’s great because of where we are, we have a lot of footfall and it’s where people go, so there’s a lot of passing traffic.” 

One volunteer said: “We don’t believe it when people say: ‘no-one reads anymore’. We also get a lot of teachers coming here to select a box of up to 30 – 40 books at a time for their kids to take home to read.” 

Shared Reading groups are free, and for everyone. Each week we select stories and poems to read aloud together and everyone is welcome to share how the words make them feel, and their thoughts and memories. Find your nearest Shared Reading group here.