As a former librarian it’s great to hear 2026 will be the National Year of Reading. It’s greatly underestimated how important it is for parents to model a reading culture at home, especially for boys, who for myriad reasons are even more reluctant to pick up a book. Thanks for generously allowing free access to your newsletter.
Thank you Bernadine for treating us all to access to your work, I really value it, and you. Loved this article and affirming that reading is resistance. I will continue to gobble up stories and literature and will definitely support the young readers, and also will check out Resistance - thank you for the recommendation.
Thank you for making this post public! There are books that have absolutely defined who I am and how I spend my life. I remember reading Wild Swans and 1984 as a teenager. They both shook me to my core, kickstarting a lifelong passion for reading and making me change my university applications from law to politics.
I remember finishing it and then turning to the first page and reading the whole thing straight through again! Something I have never done before or since. My tiny teenage mind was blown.
Thank you for sharing, you make some excellent points. It's vitally important that we remember that there are millions who quietly do their thing in the background. Protest has historically always been a multi layered thing, everyone plays their part, but not everyone is "out there". I'm thrilled that 2026 is a year to focus on reading, but sad that the statistics are so awful.
This is heartening to read, thank you. Reading and exploring different experiences expressed on the page is an important way to grow, I think. Great to see you on here as well, I am just attempting to figure it out!
Thank you Bernardine 😊 Adult Education is a form of resistance. Following the principles of Freire and Hooks I always encouraged my adult students to question orthodoxy and socially unjust practices.
As a former librarian it’s great to hear 2026 will be the National Year of Reading. It’s greatly underestimated how important it is for parents to model a reading culture at home, especially for boys, who for myriad reasons are even more reluctant to pick up a book. Thanks for generously allowing free access to your newsletter.
Thank you Bernadine for treating us all to access to your work, I really value it, and you. Loved this article and affirming that reading is resistance. I will continue to gobble up stories and literature and will definitely support the young readers, and also will check out Resistance - thank you for the recommendation.
I just promised myself I wouldn’t buy any more books! Now, I’m reconsidering! Thanks for sharing x
Libraries.
I live in a small town in Italy - there’s very little English-language choice in the library, unfortunately.
Thank you for making this post public! There are books that have absolutely defined who I am and how I spend my life. I remember reading Wild Swans and 1984 as a teenager. They both shook me to my core, kickstarting a lifelong passion for reading and making me change my university applications from law to politics.
Loved Wild Swans too
I remember finishing it and then turning to the first page and reading the whole thing straight through again! Something I have never done before or since. My tiny teenage mind was blown.
Thank you for sharing, you make some excellent points. It's vitally important that we remember that there are millions who quietly do their thing in the background. Protest has historically always been a multi layered thing, everyone plays their part, but not everyone is "out there". I'm thrilled that 2026 is a year to focus on reading, but sad that the statistics are so awful.
Very generous.
Exhibition at Modern Two in Edinburgh currently:
https://www.nationalgalleries.org/exhibition/resistance
👏👏👏But it is writing that is résistance.
Amen to this post. Have you read the work of Rest is Resistance by Dr. Tricia Hersey? https://thenapministry.wordpress.com
yes, I have!
This is heartening to read, thank you. Reading and exploring different experiences expressed on the page is an important way to grow, I think. Great to see you on here as well, I am just attempting to figure it out!
Thank you Bernardine 😊 Adult Education is a form of resistance. Following the principles of Freire and Hooks I always encouraged my adult students to question orthodoxy and socially unjust practices.
So glad to see you here, Bernardine. And the title of this piece is so true.
Well said. I thoroughly enjoyed 'Resistance' too - some stunning images which deserve to be better known.
Agree Substack takes a while. Good luck. Thought was just me 😅🤩
Absolutely love this perspective on the varying ways we can each resist. Thank you 🙏🏼
Loved "Girl Woman Other" .....(and I'm a bloke!)