Listen: help disaster-hit families by reading

We’re all guilty of revisiting favourite books and authors, and rereading a classic, but doing it too often can prevent you from broadening your horizons.

While 40% of UK adults say they rely on literature to develop their understanding of other cultures, only 13% admit to have knowingly read a book by a BAME author in the last 12 months, according to new research from ShelterBox, the disaster relief charity.

More than two thirds (68%) are open to the idea of experimenting with authors and genres different to what they are used to. However, of the 11 books the average person reads each year, 33% are the same genre or by the same author, while half (50%) of readers admit to revisiting the same books for the feelings of comfort and familiarity they bring.

The ShelterBox Book Club was launched to offer stories about characters and cultures from places where the charity has supported communities, raising money for future initiatives and disaster support. 

With Black History Month ending in just a few days, Kizzy Gardiner, Head of Fundraising for Shelterbox and the UK’s first Locum MP joined Ros Connors: