Years ago when I was principal of a school I was able to introduce the teaching and learning of Shakespeare from Years 8 -12 as a compulsory part of the English curriculum. I didn’t force students to read every word of every play but every child was expected to have dipped into at least 5 plays and to know something about the great playwright and his works. To the delight of his teachers, the captain of the School’s First IV Rugby Team fell in love with Shakespeare to the extent that the school began a new tradition at his instigation. When the new school captains were appointed the induction task was to recite the balcony scene from Romeo and Juliet on stage, in front of the whole school. Thanks to the rugby captain’s initiative students were party to many a hilarious presentation and Shakespeare became part of the fabric of the school.

This incident and many years of teaching English remind me how often we underestimate young people and their ability to understand, and grapple with, literature of the highest calibre. School and homes do our children a disservice if we don’t provide them with opportunities to read the best books on offer. Without books we take from them the joy, wonder and awe that comes from reading truly great writers; and we deny them the possibility of understanding our world or appreciating our history, heritage and culture.

In this video I talk about how being brought up in a home full of words, books and poetry has influenced my life and lead me, eventually, to writing full time.

Is reading uncool? Let me know your thoughts in the comments below.