Archived decisions

Literature Development Strategy 2009/12

1. Vision

By 2012 Hampshire will be a County where readers of all ages are adventurous in their reading habits, comfortable with trying new writers and genres and share their love of reading widely. Hampshire based writers will feel supported and find outlets for their creative work. The spoken word will become prominent in festivals and performance programmes across the County. Hampshire will be at the forefront of literature activity nationally.

The vision will be achieved through the County Council and its partners in the voluntary, academic, and wider cultural sector working together to increase participation and enjoyment of the written and spoken word.

2. Background and Context

Hampshire is rich in literary heritage. A range of key historical writers have a connection to the County. Internationally recognised author Jane Austen is one of our most famous links. Others include Charles Dickens, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edward Thomas, Flora Thompson, HG Wells and Gilbert White. The County Council has a superb archive collection revolving around these authors and regularly focuses on ways to celebrate and engage the public; through walks, lectures, exhibitions and other events. The Library and Information Service (LIS) maintain an Austen special collection. Hampshire Trusts and Charities exist to promote these writers and their lives in Hampshire, such as the Jane Austen house in Chawton and Gilbert White's house in Selborne.

The County is home to a number of renowned literary institutions, including the Winchester Writers Conference and The English Project. The former is run annually by the University of Winchester. Now in its third decade it attracts national and international participants to attend lectures, seminars, workshops and sessions led by writers, tutors and individuals from the book trade. The English Project is a newer initiative based in Winchester. It aims to promote an awareness and understanding of the evolving English language through a series of projects, events and publications. It's long term flagship project is a visitor attraction in the city. The project is financed through a number of partners including Hampshire County Council, Winchester City and the University.

Established literature activity run by the County Council includes The Wessex Children's Book Festival, a biannual event of schools based activity plus a family gala weekend hosted by the Schools Library Service. The Festival provides access to live authors in an inspiring series of talks celebrating reading and writing to pupils in Primary School education.

Appendix 1a provides a fuller account of the literature activity present in the County. It outlines the wide range of cultural services involved in delivering such a breadth of work.

2.1 Corporate Context

All our services must focus on Hampshire County Council's three core objectives:

· Hampshire - safer and more secure for all

· Maximising wellbeing

· Enhancing our quality of place

Providing free access to books and information through our Libraries and Information Service, plus an overarching local authority commitment to building literate communities play a major role in addressing these.

Reading is a fundamental life skill. The 2008 report by the National Literacy Trust, `Literacy Changes Lives', showed a strong correlation between high levels of literacy and cohesive communities, a sense of well being, the acquisition and use of health skills and civic engagement. High levels of literacy lead to higher aspirations in the individual and more successful and happy societies. Reading for pleasure is one of the most important indicators of the future success of a child.

The Corporate Improvement Plan highlights three priority areas: `Increasing customer/community focus', `Reducing inequalities' and `Improving our capacity to deliver'. Knowledge of local communities and an understanding of their needs are crucial, as is close partnership working with other County Council services to deliver shared objectives and ensure ongoing community engagement. Service provision must also take into account key priorities outlined in the `Rural Strategy' and the `Customer Access Strategy' with their emphasis on inclusion and accessibility.

In the Arts Service plan literature development is embedded within the wider aim of increasing participation in the arts, and in doing so feeds into the wellbeing agenda.

The Library and Information Service's Vision is to provide "A creative service at the heart of Hampshire communities which prides itself on meeting their evolving needs for reading, information, learning and enjoyment." A network of 51 libraries, 2 Discovery Centres, 18 mobile library vehicles, a Schools Library Service, plus a prison and housebound service ensure that this provision can be accessed throughout the County by a variety of diverse communities. In their Vision document they show commitment to encouraging more people to read for pleasure and providing the infrastructure for the public to pursue this. As well as the variety of stock on open library shelves they offer book supply to the 508 active adult reading groups registered with them across the County (statistic: May 2009). Libraries host a programme of events to encourage non-traditional or lapsed library users into the building to rediscover what a modern library service has to offer them. They continue to promote the key message that reading is a fundamental life skill and their service can help all sectors of the community to engage with books and lifelong learning.

2.2 Creative Reading Charter

The `Creative Reading Charter' is a new national initiative incorporating The Reading Agency, the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, the Society of Chief Librarians, the Arts Council, the Association of Senior Children's and Education Libraries and other major partners to form a joint working plan and proposal for a new overarching library transformation campaign. This work will build on the momentum of the 2008 National Year of Reading to reinvigorate the role libraries play in celebrating and championing the value and pleasure of reading.

Appendix 1b offers a `Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats' (SWOT) analysis of current provision. Lessons from this process inform the Literature Development Strategy and Action Plan.

2.3 Literature Development Officer

The Literature Development Officer (LDO) role is jointly funded by the Arts and the Library and Information Service to raise the profile of the written and spoken word through promotion of live literature, reading and writing across Hampshire. The post has been in existence over a long term period, as part of the Arts Service team.

In the broadest terms the aim is to increase the range and reach of literary activities in the County and the opportunities for producers and consumers of literature. All literature development work will emphasise the value of reading and writing as cultural activities. The LDO initiates a high volume of author events in libraries and other venues within the Culture, Communities and Rural Affairs directorate. These include talks by individual authors to Readers' Days. A range of workshops have been hosted from poetry to lyric writing for teens, and short story writing. The literature budget has funded partnership initiatives ranging from storytelling sessions in Countryside sites to writing workshops as part of an art centre youth festival and a writer residency at a Museum. Working closely with the LIS, the LDO organises activity in conjunction with the major literary prizes and significant dates in the local and national calendar such as National Poetry Day and Black History Month. Projects and events have been programmed to complement museum and gallery exhibitions. Literature has been interpreted broadly: music with spoken word, theatrical performance, storytelling, lectures and writing competitions.

3. Objectives and Actions

The objectives and actions presented in this strategy provide a platform to build upon the achievements, profile and momentum generated by last year's National Year of Reading (NYR). It incorporates both wider literature development initiatives and a variety of organisations in the County. The strategy highlights the necessity to maximise opportunities in developing literature based work with a wide range of partners within the council and externally, and ensure Hampshire remains at the forefront of activity in the UK.

The Strategy has 5 main objectives :

1. To create an environment where readers are comfortable to experiment with different writing genres and share their love of reading widely.

2. To provide support for Hampshire based writers.

3. To raise the profile of the written and spoken word through live literature programming.

4. To continue developing audiences for each strand of work.

5. To sustain success.

Literature Development Strategy Action Plan 2009-2012

Objective: To create an environment where readers of all ages are adventurous in their reading habits, comfortable with trying new writers and genres and share their love of reading widely.

Objective: Hampshire based writers will feel supported and find outlets for their creative work.

Objective: The spoken word will become prominent in festivals and performance programmes across the County.

Objective: Develop audiences for ongoing literature activity.

Objective: Sustain successful partnerships and develop new ones.

Appendix 1a

Audit: to provide an account of literature activity present in the County, outlining the wide range of cultural services involved in delivery.

Reading

The County Library and Information Service (LIS) currently manage 51 libraries, 2 Discovery Centres, 28 mobile library vehicles and a School's Library Service. The provision of books to meet the broadest range of reading needs is at the heart of the LIS. It supplies material in alternative formats, books in 23 different languages, texts supporting the teaching of basic literacy and `Books on Prescription' which are self-help manuals prescribed by local GPs. In 2008/09 in excess of £2m was spent on the purchase of new stock.

"The lending of books and the encouragement of reading will remain at the heart of our Service." (Vision and Strategy for Hampshire Library and Information Service 2009-2014)

The LIS support the 508 active adult reading groups registered with them through book loans and special membership. These groups form a solid basis for building audiences for ongoing author events across CCRA. Attractive, inviting library layout, stock promotion displays and high quality events are also essential factors in engaging with the individual keen reader. Events aim to provide a dialogue between writer and reader and enrich the reading experience. They also celebrate reading as a social activity and raise the profile of reading as an art form. In 2008 CCRA venues hosted 25 author visits for adults to a total audience of 1216. This target is already on course to be exceeded in 2009.

Close links with the publishing trade allows the LDO to maximise opportunities to work with contemporary national and international writers and bring them to Hampshire venues. This relationship is supported through The Reading Agency's `Reading Partners' project.

A number of other Festivals in the County include visiting authors in their programme, including the annual Winchester Festivities. A new community initiated Literary Festival in the Borough of Havant emerged last year, with key support from District and County Councils. The LIS also work with a variety of Arts Festivals in the County including Waterside, Lymington and Bishops Waltham.

The LIS work in partnership with Adult Services, particularly the sight loss and sensory teams in their continued commitment to the vision impaired reading group movement. A decade ago, in the previous National Year of Reading, Hampshire led the way in developing reading groups for the vision impaired using audio and large print. This ongoing work espouses the importance of equality of access and combating social exclusion.

`newbooks' magazine, devoted to promoting new titles to the reading group market, is run by Winchester resident Guy Pringle. The LIS has forged close links in promoting this shared message and hosted a number of partnership events with the publication.

The established Wessex Children's Book Festival is a biannual event managed by the Schools Library Service (SLS). In 2008 65 Hampshire Primary Schools participated, enabling 8000 children to attend 68 sessions and events featuring 31 authors. The Festival is sponsored by independent bookshop P&G Wells. The LIS and SLS also run the annual Hampshire Book Awards, working with schools and their `pupil judges' across the County.

The Children's Team in the public library service carry out targeted national reading promotions including Book Ahead, Boys into Books and the Summer Reading Challenge, all designed to instil the reading habit and provide sustained improvement in literacy skills amongst children, boys in particular. Work with Children's Services, `Surestart' and the Children's Centres ensure a joined up approach across the County. Regular baby rhyme time sessions and under fives story times in public libraries are aimed at fostering a love of language that leads to independent reading. Libraries work with parents on encouraging their child's language development and their own confidence in sharing stories with their children.

Reading initiatives to engage the general public include the Hampshire Big Read that ran in the National Year of Reading 2008. Especially chosen as a crossover book with potential appeal to those aged 10 to 100, multiple copies of Michael Morpurgo's `Private Peaceful' were loaned through libraries and distributed through outreach promotions. A couple of years prior to this a smaller scale project was carried out in key locations promoting Jane Austen's `Pride and Prejudice'. High book loan figures, positive media coverage and excellent public feedback have led us to plan a Hampshire Big Read 2010.

The `Book Doctor' scheme, recently adopted by LIS, is a customer service tool to widen people's reading by suggesting what to read next. It will promote book knowledge and the breadth of library stock. It will be used both inside the library and outside the building at promotional opportunities e.g. The New Forest Show.

The National Year of Reading in 2008 will continue under the campaign title `Reading for Life', continuing to promote the importance of reading for purpose and for pleasure. The National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency continue to manage the campaign at a national level. And HCC continue to respond to its key message through local provision.

Writing

There are a healthy number of independently run writers groups spread across the County. The LDO is currently undertaking an audit of groups to include visits and conversation about the needs of these local writing communities. This will inform the literature events programme, identify where support and guidance can be practically offered and allow direct marketing to build audiences. The groups range from the `Poem and Pint' crowd at Forest Arts, a poetry appreciation group run from the Winchester Oxfam Bookshop, the Nuffield Theatre playwrights group, the Wyvern Writers meeting in Chandlers Ford Library, the Basingstoke Writers Circle who regularly hold open microphone nights with the `Razbeck' writers at The Lights in Andover and open Literature Nights hosted at the Hyde Tavern. These literary clubs and writers groups are part of Hampshire's varied and diverse literary and cultural history and have a key role to play in the success of the Literature Development Strategy.

Hampshire is home to a large number of published writers, successful in their variety of chosen genre. The LDO celebrates local writing through promoting their work and engaging them in the cultural life of the County. Internationally acclaimed poet Wendy Cope was a judge on our Hampshire Poet for the National Year of Reading competition and has continued to mentor the winner. These writers give talks, performances and lead workshops in addition to their writing, in a variety of venues. The `Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction' 2009 winning author Philip Hoare has worked with HCC over the years on a number of literature based events; as a speaker, as lead writer on a schools based project, as a competition judge. Many others offer similar support and contributions and we are keen to work closely with contemporary writers living in the County.

The Winchester Writers Conference, in its third decade, is hosted by the University of Winchester and is the best known, longest established, regional event of this kind. The conference is dedicated to teaching more about the world of writing and publishing to approximately 500 local, national and international delegates each year. As well as the week long schedule of lectures, seminars and workshops, the conference manages a number of related writing competitions.

Hampshire has a number of Universities that run creative writing courses both for undergraduates and postgraduates; Winchester, Southampton and Portsmouth. These offer a great resource of writers, tutors and students who can be engaged in events and projects for the wider general public. Other educational organisations offer writing and reading courses including the Adult Education Centre at Peter Symonds College and the University of the Third Age (U3A).

Writing competitions hosted by HCC are a great way of encouraging participation and celebrating local talent. The Hampshire Poet for National Year of Reading offered the opportunity for a gifted writer to contribute to the cultural life of the County through at least four core commissions. The subsequent work raised the profile of poetry locally, showed CCRA departments how they might use poetry creatively to promote their services and provided a platform for a local writer to gain further work. This has led to further cross-department projects based on writing including `Words & Walks' with Countryside sites.

Opportunities for writers to read their work in a nurturing and friendly environment are crucial for personal development. The LDO has set up the Short Story Slam at the Winchester Discovery Centre as a regular event to showcase the work of local writers and reward their efforts. Demand and feedback have proven that too few opportunities like this exist and the LDO will need to investigate expanding similar provision.

Spoken Word

Literature in performance is a lively way of engaging the public with language. Arts venues across the County are central in providing this through imaginative programming. This includes performance poetry which the literature budget has supported. There is still some work to be done in building audiences for this work. Hopefully this will be enhanced through the recent employment of a south east regional coordinator for `Apples and Snakes' at Nuffield Theatre. It is an exciting opportunity to work in partnership to host emerging performance artists and build local audiences.

Storytelling is a key art form within literature development. A rich array of storytellers work in a variety of locations, with work aimed at various age groups including adults. These include libraries and art centres as well as less traditional venues such as countryside sites and museums. One current example is the Forest Forge theatre company (an Arts Service regularly funded organisation) working with libraries and schools in Hampshire to bring `Around the World in 80 Days' alive through interactive storytelling. Their proposed programme of shows over the next couple of years will also prove fruitful for partnership literature activity.

The LDO has commissioned literature in performance to tour libraries and other sites. These bring the words off the page through a new medium and to a potentially new audience. Commissions have included `Flower of Youth' to coincide with the wartime theme of the Hampshire Big Read and `Hyenas in Petticoats', a one woman show charting the links between the lives and writings of Mary Wollstonecraft and Virginia Woolf with debut shows coinciding with International Women's Week.

Partnerships

The Winchester Literature Network was set up as a result of NYR to bring together literature providers in the city. Membership includes the City Council, LIS, the LDO, an independent bookseller, the University of Winchester, Guy Pringle from `newbooks' magazine, The English Project and the Literature Officer form Arts Council South East. A collaborative effort led to `Winchester Out Loud' in 2008, a series of events in celebration of books and reading. The Network plans to collaborate again in 2010.

Educational establishments are a key partner, to access both local expertise and students interested in literature. The Schools Library Service provides an excellent link to the vast majority of Hampshire schools who subscribe to the service. The huge response to our Children's Poetry Competition to mark the end of NYR would not have been possible without this partnership in place. Likewise the University of Winchester lent time and support to the judging of the Six Word Story competition.

Adult literacy is a key priority for the LIS. They work in partnership with a number of significant organisations in this field including Hampshire Learning, community colleges offering basic skills tuition and The Vital Link, a national agency who produce learning resource materials entitled `The Six Book Challenge'. Hampshire piloted this reading project in Winchester prison library and it is now being rolled out to libraries and colleges across the County.

Booksellers are a crucial partner in the Literature Development Strategy, as we are both in the business of selling the reading experience. Independent bookseller P & G Wells sponsor The Wessex Children's Book Festival and Borders bookstore in Southampton have sponsored two of our writing competitions. Hayling Island Bookshop, 2009 regional winner of the best independent bookseller, has been our official bookseller at a great number of library author events. Similarly in Totton they engage the services of Chapter One bookshop, and in other locations Waterstone's.

The Reading Agency (TRA) is a crucial organisation in its advocacy work and project management. The `Reading Partners' consortium of publishers and library authorities, managed by the TRA is an ongoing scheme to which ten publishing companies subscribe annually. It provides a strong communication network and wealth of event and project opportunities including offers of leading national and international authors on promotional book tours available to visit libraries. The LDO has the role of Reading Partners representative for the south east region. A track record in delivering high quality events in excellent Hampshire venues with capacity audiences means we have a very positive partnership with a large number of book publicists. TRA are also major partners in the new national Creative Reading Charter.

Regional partnerships with other library authorities are facilitated through a number of routes. The one most closely linked to this work is the South East Reader Development Forum with participants from all nineteen local authorities. The LDO is the Hampshire representative. The Forum was initially set up by the regional Museums, Libraries and Archives board. The South East Arts Council Literature Officer is an active member of the group. The Forum is based on information exchange, training and joint projects.

Hampshire LIS also have a learning agreement with the region's BBC to support appropriate campaigns such as the recent RaW (reading and writing) through joint project work and resource materials. Local media are also an important partner in providing a positive message about reading and libraries. During NYR Hampshire joined forces with Portsmouth City Council and local paper `The News' to undertake a literacy campaign entitled `Spread the Word'. A page per week in the newspaper was dedicated to reading with positive features printed over the sustained period of one year. The coverage of the Summer Reading Challenge had a significant impact on the number of children completing the scheme in libraries within the paper's circulation area. In Fareham and Gosport the number taking part went up by 18.5% and the number finishing increased by an impressive 28.7%. Promoting this shared message about literacy continues in a new monthly feature about activities for children that `The News' are running with HCC as one of their partners.

There a number of other national organisations, focussed upon literature, who are important partners in ongoing and developing work. This includes the Poetry Society and its National Poetry Day, World Book Day, the British Council and the National Literacy Trust.

Appendix 1b

SWOT analysis 2006 to present

Strengths

· County Council support for literature activity through the National Year of Reading campaign.

· Creation of an R&H Steering Group to develop cross-departmental work that will continue in 2009 as a `Culture-all' forum for CCRA. Network of libraries, Discovery Centres, countryside sites, arts centres and museums provide locations for imaginative programming and engagement.

· Flagship library building in Winchester with good links to London, centre of publishing world.

· Reintroduced LDO role. Jointly funded by and integrated into Libraries and Arts. Capacity to be more proactive in Literature Development, demonstrated by successful record of projects that widely engage the Hampshire community including the Six Word Story writing competition and Hampshire Big Read and track record of high profile author events.

· Relationship with Reading Partners consortium of publishers; LDO role as project representative for the South East.

· Strong reputation in region through profile of programme and active participation in Regional forums.

· Launch of the English Project, a major international initiative in Winchester.

· New community initiated Literary Festival in Havant Borough.

· Successful Wessex Children's Book Festival engaging 8000 young people in 68 sessions and events featuring 31 authors (2008 statistics).

· Local media buy in from The News `Spread the Word' literacy campaign, a page per week dedicated to promoting reading. Sustained message and strong relationship created.

Weaknesses

· Lack of County Council Strategy.

· Limited joined up approach with external partners in the County e.g. The English Project, University of Winchester.

· Limited external partnership activity undertaken.

· Library and arts service focus on reading over writing and performance, will need to address this to ensure balanced approach in the future.

· Audience development weak in some areas e.g. targeting usually kept at more generic level for project delivery. Young adults as target audience for literature and library projects not well addressed.

· Programming policy undeveloped at Winchester Discovery Centre (WDC)

· Coherent and sophisticated promotion of events uneven across the County.

· Limited leverage of investment funding from cultural agencies e.g. Arts Council.

Opportunities

· Set of partnership projects in place for 2009 as direct result of NYR Steering Group relationships provides platform for future development

· Improved communication with writers' circles following an audit of groups in Hampshire. Assessing needs to inform programme. Support through newly developed Arts Service web pages.

· Further develop programme at WDC, expand definition and range of literature activity.

· `Apples and Snakes' programme coordinator being established in South East, partnership working to promote performance poetry.

· Find Your Talent programme of projects, providing young people with experience of working with writers and poets in libraries and other venues.

· Chance to develop more strands of overlapping work with young people and families.

· Personalisation agenda - work with older people.

· Projects as part of arts and health agenda, including Bibliotherapy project.

· Cultural Olympiad as wide reaching priority.

· Funding leverage.

· Locally placed major projects and initiatives, e.g. The English Project and Writers Conference.

· Training opportunities for library personnel in marketing and event management.

· Core Library services free to all users. Extolling benefits of library usage during economic downturn.

· Use of internet and other new forms of publishing.

Threats

· Economic downturn effecting public spend on leisure, impacting on both County Council and voluntary sector activity.

· Also an impact on Hampshire based Literature charities e.g. Austen, Selborne etc.

· County Council budget constraints.

· Continuing national decline in library borrowing.