Many thanks to Dr Josephine Metcalf and Dr Caroline Cauchi at the University of Hull for this guest blog post.
A man in his forties reads a poem by Luis J. Rodríguez on his in-cell laptop. He is taking part in the University of Hull’s Digital Book Club for Readers and Writers, and he is doing so alone, on his bed, in his own time. After finishing the poem, he writes three pages in response to a simple prompt: What does this poem allow you to say that you could not say before?
That moment, private, voluntary and reflective, sits at the heart of the project.
Led by Dr Caroline Cauchi and Dr Josephine Metcalf at the University of Hull, the Digital Book Club for Readers and Writers operates on secure in-cell laptops across more than 90 prisons. It was designed with one central question in mind: how do we support adults, including those in prison, to return to reading for pleasure in ways that are voluntary, confidence-building and adaptable to their routines?
As we move through the National Year of Reading, much of the focus rightly sits on children and early literacy. But reading for pleasure is a lifelong practice. The challenge of adult re-engagement, particularly among those whose reading confidence has been disrupted, deserves equal attention.
Many prison libraries run excellent in-person book groups. We know how powerful those shared spaces can be. But librarians also tell us about the challenges: limited places, clashes with education timetables, movement restrictions, and readers who simply prefer not to speak in groups. Some capable readers avoid book groups because they lack confidence. Others want to read privately. Some cannot attend even if they would like to.
The Digital Book Club for Readers and Writers was designed with those readers in mind. Delivered entirely through secure in-cell laptops, it offers a structured book group experience that participants can access privately, at a time and pace that suits them. There is no assessment. Engagement is voluntary. The aim is to make reading for pleasure feel chosen, not imposed.
Each text, whether poetry, short fiction or an extract from a novel, is accompanied by a short worksheet. The worksheets include five reflective “book group style” questions designed to encourage personal response rather than test comprehension. These are followed by a creative writing activity that invites readers to connect the text to their own experiences.
Three elements shape the design:
- Flexible entry points: Each text is supported by beginner, intermediate and advanced pathways. Readers can start where they feel comfortable and build confidence gradually.
- Reading and writing together: Creative writing is not an optional add-on. It is integrated into every worksheet, allowing participants to process what they have read and develop their own voice.
- Removing elitism: Recognised texts are used, but the tone invites participation as equals, not as remedial learners.
Most texts come from public-domain sources, but we have also secured permission to include extracts from authors such as Stephen King, Anthony Horowitz and Max Porter. When contemporary writing is available, the response is immediate and enthusiastic.
The project grew out of our research into reading for pleasure in prison, which highlighted two recurring issues: limited access to structured book groups, and the reluctance of some capable readers to join face-to-face sessions. The digital model offers one way to address both. It does not replace prison libraries or face-to-face groups. Rather, it creates an additional pathway, particularly for those who might otherwise opt out.
At its heart, our Digital Book Club for Reading and Writing is about restoring reading as something voluntary, reflective and personally meaningful. It recognises that confidence often grows first in private, before it grows in community.
That man on his bunk, writing in response to a poem, is not completing an assignment. He is choosing to read. He is choosing to think. He is choosing to write.
If you are interested in exploring how this model might work in your setting, whether through sharing feedback, trialling materials or contributing readers’ writing, we would love to hear from you.
Dr Caroline Cauchi – c.cauchi@hull.ac.uk
Dr Josephine Metcalf – j.metcalf@hull.ac.uk
