It’s time to get organised! Sign up HERE if you want to be a Living Book in the Human Library at WOMAD, which takes place this year from 27th – 29th July, near Malmsbury, north of Bath. See the WOMAD website for more info. Please note that volunteers will be contacted in the first week of June with confirmation.
Please have a good look around this website before you sign up – living books are normally people who face discrimination or have done so in the past.
This year’s Human Library at WOMAD turned out to be a complete sell-out, or should that be borrow-out? There was an overwhelming response and most books were completely booked out from day one, with queues forming to read the book descriptions and readers spilling out into the surrounding areas in the Arboretum.
Conversation in the yurt
Our beautiful yurts
'Sikh or Freak'? and Librarian
Vegan, Sikh & Graveyard Master all being read at once!
Some books were so well thumbed that they decided to do extra shifts! The Librarians kept everyone in order & tried to fine the readers if they returned books late but the festival atmosphere prevailed and these turned into hugs. Blessed with good weather, throbbing reggae, open-air choirs & great bagels from next door we are itching to do it all over again next year.
Difficult to say who the best-sellers were but ‘Sikh or Freak’ was very eye-catching, the Artistic Spasser got her readers to make fluttering fabric labels hanging in the tree, the Alternative Historian and Psychiatrist were much in demand and the Graveyard Master had some great anecdotes from her readers! You can download a full list of book descriptions here and see the slideshow & gallery here.
Roll on 2012, WOMAD’s 30th year & the Library’s 3rd.
Librarian looking after potential readers
conversations.....
In 2010 WOMAD hosted their first Human Library, where you can borrow Living Books, and we are doing it again in 2011 from July 29th to 31st. If you’d like to be a Living Book please sign-up here – http://svy.mk/HLWOMAD
The Human Library is an innovative method designed to promote dialogue, reduce prejudices and encourage understanding. The Human Library is set up as a space for dialogue and interaction. Visitors are given the opportunity to speak informally with “people on loan”; this latter group being extremely varied in age, sex and cultural background.
The Human Library enables groups to break stereotypes by challenging the most common prejudices in a positive and humorous manner. It is a concrete, easily transferable and affordable way of promoting tolerance and understanding. It is a “keep it simple”, “no-nonsense” contribution to social cohesion in multicultural societies.
We were located in the Arboretum by the Radio 3 stage and had a selection of 42 Living Books available over the three days of the festival. You can see a list of the books available and links to their book descriptions HERE. People simply came by, spoke to a Librarian, read the catalogue of available books & decided who to take out for a chat & either took them into our lovely double yurt (thanks Matt!) or went & sat in the shade outside. You can see pictures in the gallery & get a feel for the atmosphere on the video page.
For more information about Human Libraries visit www.humanlibrary.org & see what is a Living Book? and Take out your Prejudices. We are doing it again in 2011 from 29th to 31st July.
Check out the booklist & come & visit us at WOMAD from this Friday.
Great news! We are approved to do it all over again this summer (29th – 31st July 2011) at WOMAD
These are our confirmed book titles;
The Toff, Music copyright enforcer, Rapid Cycle Bipolar, White Sikh convert, The confused feminist, Surviving Addict, Dyslexic Egyptology Student, Council tenant mum of 7, Alternative Historian, Psychiatrist, Human Trafficked to Sex Work – So what?!, Druid Counsellor, Fat alchy woman, The questioning Christian, Bellydancing doula, Hospice worker, Housewife and wanna-be novelist, Vegan, Mental health OT, Rapid Cycling Psychiatrist, Guyanese man, Artistic Spasser, Social Worker, Charity chugger, “Human Beings and Forgiveness” (rape victim), Usher Syndrome Type 2 sufferer, Mental Health Advocate, Cardigans & needles, Research Scientist (Chemistry), Diabetic Music Therapist, Bisexual Hybrid, Old (44) young (16) mum, Dyslexic Buddhist Psychiatric Nurse, Unmothered mother, World Citizen, Biking Agoraphobic, Disabled artist, NHS Complaints Handler, Lexicographer, Pharmacist AND Homeopath, Militant Shop Steward, Indian Easy-lifer. You can download the book descriptions here. Continue reading
Books & readers had a very rewarding time and feedback is coming through;
“I just wanted to drop you a line to say a huge THANK YOU for our human library experience. Both Will and I really enjoyed it, and felt that it was an immensely worthwhile event for both books and readers.” Steph (Stay-at-home mum) & Will (Psychiatrist).
“This was a really special way to learn something new. Many thanks.” Sam (Reader)
