Reading Charity Launches New Group in Hammersmith

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Amnesty Bookshop to host fortnightly sessions for The Reader

The launch event at the shop in King Street

May 4, 2026

The UK’s biggest Shared Reading charity has launched its eighth group in Hammersmith & Fulham, expanding a programme that brings people together through stories, poems and conversation. The Reader opened its newest drop‑in group on Friday 1 May at the Amnesty Bookshop on King Street, where sessions will run fortnightly on Friday mornings from 10am to 11am.

The Amnesty Bookshop’s manager, Sonia Lasso, said the team was delighted to host the new group. “It’s a warm, welcoming space where people can connect through stories, feel part of a community, and enjoy the simple pleasure of reading together,” she said.

The Reader already runs seven weekly and fortnightly groups across the borough, including at John Lewis Westfield, the Bush Theatre, Shepherd’s Bush Library and Age UK Hammersmith & Fulham’s Activity Centre. The charity’s mission is to combat loneliness and improve wellbeing by creating spaces where people can share literature aloud and reflect on what it means to them.

Each session is led by a trained volunteer Reader Leader, who selects short stories or poems to read aloud. Participants are invited to share thoughts, memories or feelings prompted by the text, though there is no pressure to speak or read. “Everyone experiences what is read in their own way,” said Michael Prior, Partnership Lead at The Reader. “But the shared language found in literature can help us to understand ourselves – and others – better. It’s a friendly, inclusive social experience best enjoyed over a cuppa in the heart of the local community.”

For many attendees, the groups offer a sense of grounding and connection. Pat Westbrook, a member of the Fulham Good Neighbours group, said: “When I go to this group, I am me again. It gives me time to think and to forget things I might be worrying about at home. It's a gift, and I look forward to it immensely.”

Local Shared Reading groups now take place at:

Open community groups
• Amnesty Bookshop, King Street, W6 – Fridays, 10am (fortnightly)
• John Lewis Westfield – Mondays, 10.30am
• Bush Theatre, Uxbridge Road – contact community@bushtheatre.co.uk
• Fulham Good Neighbours, Rosaline Road, SW6 – Thursdays, 11am
• Nourish Hub, St Ann’s Road, W11 – Fridays, 11am (women only)
• Shepherd's Bush Library – Fridays, 3pm (fortnightly)

Groups for older people
• Nubian Life, Elleslie Road, W12 – Thursdays, 2pm
• Age UK Hammersmith & Fulham Activity Centre, Greyhound Road, W6 – Mondays, 11am

All groups are free to attend, and anyone interested is welcome to drop in. The programme in Hammersmith & Fulham is funded by the borough council.

Across the UK, The Reader brings more than 20,700 people together each week at nearly 500 Shared Reading groups. More information about the charity’s work can be found here.

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