For students, finding time to read regularly is difficult – the distractions of social media and its promise of instant gratification, the pressure of academic deadlines, and balancing these with co-curricular activities and FOMO (fear of missing out), leaves students with little time or inclination for the long form of the novel. I often hear students say, “It takes so long to read” or “Reading is slow”.

In an effort to maintain students’ interest in reading, our Years 7 and 8 classes often begin with quiet reading – the silence afforded allows students to commence work with greater concentration and efficiency on tasks that will follow, and promotes patience and self-discipline; and at Year 8, the introduction this year of the graphic novel, Jane Eyre, will allow staff to introduce students to the classics and extend avid readers.

A new co-curricular offering, Coffee and Culture, allows students from Years 10 to 12, who are interested in contemporary issues, books, films, and theatre to gather, discuss ideas and build connections and friendships based on intellectual interests.

The weekly Book Club continues in the Nicholas Library for students in Years 7 to 9. Audiobooks and podcasts also offer time-poor students the opportunity to hear great stories, while students who actively make time to read use social media to promote their love of reading through booktoks and virtual book clubs. Later this term, the Nicholas Library will launch the Game of Loans at Years 7 and 8: a class-based reading competition fostering a love of reading traditional novels, non-fiction as well as audiobooks.

While as English teachers, our role is to promote a love of reading, we can often feel that we are pushing against the grain, yet it never fails to surprise me that students who make time to read are fully engaged in the world around them. They are well-rounded individuals who understand the value of deep social connections; are prepared to be challenged by the cultural assumptions of fictional worlds, and can place themselves readily in fictional constructs either historical or futuristic which are far removed from their own experiences.

There is no doubt that students who are readers show emotional intelligence and maturity – they are able to demonstrate empathy and compassion by walking in another’s shoes – dispositions that are underpinned by regular immersion in reading. They are also incredibly expressive in articulating their needs and defending their points of view.

Thus, while parents and teachers are the beneficiaries of the culture of the traditional novel, a love of reading can continue to inspire and connect students in a variety of ways that were not previously available, in order to stimulate conversation and enrich their lives