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Author Gervase Phinn launches World Book Day with a Quick Read at HMP MoorlandPopular Yorkshire author Gervase Phinn will be launching his new Quick Read book, All These Lonely People, today (Thursday 5th March) at Hatfield Learning Centre, HMP Moorland, as part of a World Book Day event held by the Prison Officers Association (POA) and unionlearn, the TUC's learning and skills organisation. Gervase will read from his book, sign copies and answer questions from an audience of union learning representatives, learners and prison staff. The event will also see the launch of unionlearn's regional publication Union Writes 2008 - a collection of short stories written by trade union members. Gervase will be joined by Dr Alan Roe, unionlearn regional manager, Tom Wheatley, Governor HMP Moorland and Tom Robson from the POA National Executive Committee.
Gervase Phinn's life has led him from a council estate in Rotherham to being a famous novelist and TV personality, whose tales of Yorkshire life have won him many fans. He will see how the POA, in partnership with HMP Moorland, is providing a range of excellent learning opportunities for staff at the U-Net learning centre. Gervase Phinn said: 'It is vital that if people are to function effectively in the world then they have to have a command of words. Sadly there are many people who do not read and I have heard some announce almost proudly that they never pick up a book. 'The 'Quick Reads' project is a superb initiative with the principal aim of encouraging those who rarely or never open a book to try their hand at reading, by promoting material which is accessible and interesting. 'Quick Reads' are bite-sized books by bestselling writers and well-known personalities and are designed to be read not just by avid readers but by people who never had or who have lost the reading habit. Any initiative which encourages the reluctant and the non-reader is very welcome.' Dr Alan Roe, regional manager unionlearn with Yorkshire and the Humber TUC said: 'The U-Net learning centre, run by the POA, has provided immense opportunities for staff at HMP Moorland and people from the wider community to access a range of learning opportunities. And this is thanks to the partnership between the trade union, unionlearn and HMP Moorland, as well as the excellent work done by union learning reps. With the support of unionlearn, this great work is being replicated in workplaces all over Yorkshire and the Humber. ' Tom Wheatley, Governor HMP Moorland said: 'It's great to welcome one of Yorkshire's most famous authors to the learning centre to celebrate World Book Day with us. Improving skills and increasing learning opportunities are a crucial aspect of developing our staff to deal with their jobs and progression.' Gervase's Quick Read is one of ten being launched today as part of World Book Day. Quick Reads* are specially written, many of them by best-selling authors and popular personalities, for both reluctant readers and for avid readers wanting a short, fast-paced read. Unionlearn is supporting many adult education projects which are raising skills levels throughout Yorkshire and the Humber. The TUC's learning and skills organisation is one of many partners working with Quick Reads to reach out to the millions of adults in the UK with reading difficulties and the one third of the British population that never picks up a book. NOTES TO EDITORS: All unionlearn press releases can be found at www.unionlearn.org.uk The event will be held at Hatfield Learning Centre, Thorne Road, Hatfield, Doncaster, DN7 6EL from 11-12.30pm. Media enquiries: Photograph: ©Martin Jenkinson Quick Reads are launched on World Book Day, which is the biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK. Now in its twelfth year, World Book Day will be held on Thursday March 5 2009. Information about World Book Day is also available from the website www.worldbookday.com. The brand-new set of Quick Reads, written by some of Britain's most popular personalities, is published on World Book Day, 5 March 2009. The books are priced at just £1.99 each. The new Quick Reads published on World Book Day, 2009 are: A Cool Head by Ian Rankin (Orion); The Cave by Kate Mosse (Orion); Black-Eyed Devils by Catrin Collier (Accent Press); The Dare by John Boyne (Transworld); Doctor Who: The Sontaran Games by Jacqueline Rayner (BBC Books); The Tannery by Sherrie Hewson (Macmillan); All These Lonely People by Gervase Phinn (Penguin); 101 Ways to get your Child to Read by Patience Thomson, with an introduction by Michael Morpurgo and celebrity tips (Barrington Stoke); Reaching for the Stars: How you can make your dreams come true by Lola Jaye (HarperCollins); and Dragons' Den: Your Road to Success by The Dragons (HarperCollins). Unionlearn together with unions has recruited over 20,000 union learning reps who last year helped over 200,000 people to access courses. Press release (900 words) issued 5 Mar 2009  Six Book Challenge: empowering adults to enjoy reading and improve skills for life Training time for toon heroes! Ex-postman learns to sort email |
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