The Intimacy of Being Read To: When Was the Last Time It Happened to You?

Does anybody read to you? I don’t mean at a public event or a poetry night. I mean the way someone read to you as a child: in bed, on the couch, just the two of you and a book.

A close friend recently told me her new partner reads to her. She described it as deeply intimate and personal… and she loves it.

I realised I can’t remember the last time someone read to me. I’ve sat in audiences for author talks and poetry readings, but that’s different. It’s not the same as being read to in your own bedroom, where the words are just for you.

That got me wondering: could being read to be a way back into reading for people who feel “too busy” for books?

My husband loves to read, but he says he doesn’t have time. I’m curious what would happen if I simply chose a book I know he’d enjoy and read him one chapter each night. Would that small ritual be enough to wake up his “make time” gene?

What about you?

• Has anyone read to you as an adult?
• How did it feel?
• Could reading aloud be a gentle way back into books for you or someone you love?

I’d love to hear your experiences.

👵🎓 Megan Bayliss
Mental health social work supervisor
Bibliotherapy researcher | PhD thesis submitted