The longest running big read in the UK is celebrating it’s 10th birthday. For the celebration City Reads (Brighton and Hove) has chosen Matt Haig’s The Humans, an accessible, funny and inventive book that asks what it means to be human. There’s still time to get reading before the culmination of events around Brighton and Hove from 10 October – 1 November.
City Reads is an annual citywide reading festival which aims to spread a love of books and ideas to the widest possible audience throughout Brighton & Hove run by Collected Works CIC. The concept is simple: selecting one book by one author for the whole community to read, discuss, debate and creatively engage with in a series of special events, workshops and performances.
On learning that The Humans was chosen for this year’s City Reads, author, Matt Haig said:
I am overjoyed to have The Humans chosen as this year’s City Reads title. I originally wrote the book as a kind of advert for the human race, and I wanted it to be a story that as many people as possible could enjoy. It was a very personal book for me, and I really hope you like it.
Sarah Hutchings, Artistic Director explains how proud she is that City Reads has such a special book to celebrate its 10th Birthday:?This book changes lives. Just go on to Twitter and search ‘Matt Haig The Humans’ to see what I mean. As soon as I read the book, I knew we’d found our 2015 title. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it was a book I wanted to share with family, friends and acquaintances, so choosing it for Brighton & Hove’s annual big read seemed like the perfect way to do that. Matt has described the book as ‘a kind of advert for the human race’ a book he wanted as many people as possible to enjoy. That sentiment sums up the whole ethos of City Reads. Some of the people I’ve recommended it to have interpreted if very differently to me and isn’t that what a good book should do? Make us question, discuss and debate its meaning? One book. One city. A thousand conversations… read THE HUMANS and be part City Reads 2015, I hope you love it as much as I do…
Highlights of the Big Read include the big closing event featuring Matt Haig in conversation with Alex Clark (1 Nov, The Old Market); Human Poetry with Jackie Kay, Dean Atta and Vanessa Kisuule exploring the complexities of identity and what it means to be human (1st Nov, The Old Market) and a Sci-Fi Film Weekender including the acclaimed Under The Skin, Pinocchio and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (23 – 24 Oct, One Church, Brighton). City Reads celebrates World Mental Health Day in partnership with Action for Happiness, with free events at Jubilee Library including: a Happiness Café, discussions about reading, featured mood boosting books and the chance of win copies of The Humans (10 Oct, Jubilee Library).
Full details of all activities at: cityreads.co.uk
Follow Us