CWR Book Club
The CWR Book Club kicked off in October 2020. We meet every other month, on the first Tuesday of the month. All are welcome to join us to discuss the book. And there’s no pressure if you haven’t read the book but are still interested in hearing what people thought about it! It might be just the motivation you need to pick it up!
The CWR Book Club runs in coordination with Lives of Colour, and the aim of the group is to read diverse books that spark challenging and interesting conversations about issues affecting refugees and migrants, and promoting the Black Lives Matter movement.
We were previously meeting on zoom but have now moved to in person meet ups. Do check our events page for confirmation!
Upcoming Book Club Dates:
Tuesday 6 February 2024 - 6:30pm at The Swan pub, High Street Cheltenham - Azadi by Arundhati Roy
The info or zoom links for the meetings will be published via our Events calendar nearer the time.
Here’s the list of amazing books we’ve read in previous book clubs:
8 September 2020 - The Good Immigrant, edited by Nikesh Shukla
3 November 2020 - How to Stay Sane in an Age of Division, by Elif Shafak
5 January 2021 - Girl, Woman, Other, by Bernandine Evaristo
2 March 2021 - Poor, by Caleb Femi (selected videos)
4 May 2021 - Butterfly, by Yusra Mardini
15 June 2021 - Refugee Tales, Vol.1, edited by David Herd
3 August 2021 - Natives, by Akala
5 October 2021 - Three Hours, by Rosamund Lupton
7 December 2021 - Incomparable World, by S.I. Martin
1 February 2022 - Windrush Child by Benjamin Zephaniah
5 May 2022 - What White People Can Do Next by Emma Dabiri
7 June 2022 - Bless the Daughter Raised by a Voice in Her Head by Warsan Shire
2 August 2022 - Hope Not Fear by Hassan Akkad
4 October 2022 - His Only Wife by Peace Adzo Medie
6 December 2022 - Two Caravans by Marina Lewycka
8 February 2023 - Little Brother by Ibrahima Balde and Amets Arzallus Antia
4 April 2023 - Welcome to Lagos by Chibundu Onuze
6 June 2023 - The Leash and the Ball by Rodaan Al Galidi
1 August 2023 - An Olive Grove in Ends by Moses McKenzie
17 October 2023 - Zoli by Colum McCann
5 December 2023 - Cane, Corn & Gully by Safiya Kamaria Kinshasa
International Book Giving Day
We have now run three very successful International Book Giving Day campaigns since 2021.
Thank you to everyone who helped us to mark International Book Giving Day on 14th February 2023 by donating an amazing 60 books! We have distributed the books to people seeking asylum and the refugee families, who can’t wait to improve their English and dive into the stories.
Charles W. Eliot said, ‘Books are the quietest and most constant of friends, they are the most accessible and wisest of counsellors, and the most patient of teachers.’ We know people receiving these books will love their new friends.
The 2023 campaign and 2022 campaign (where we collected 70 books!) was a follow up to the original 2021 success where we worked with The Suffolk Anthology to crowdsource and distribute books for children from refugee families - finally receiving orders for over 50 books!
We bought out the complete stock at the distributors for Arabic/English language books, which shows the incredible difference our supporters make.
Some feedback from Cheltenham Volunteer Teachers volunteers who distributed the books:
‘K knew all about 'The Boy at the Back of the Class' as they had read some of it at school, so he was very pleased to get his own copy.’
‘The family were very grateful to receive the books.’
‘The Arabic/English text has proved very popular, and I think the mother reads it every evening. The young girls cannot read Arabic, but are enjoying following the English text.’
‘Thanks for the books on behalf of O and R.’
THANK YOU!
Suggested Reading
If you’d like to find some resources on fiction and non-fiction on themes of migration and what refugees go through, we’ve compiled a comprehensive reading list of suggested titles!