The Big Read

First introduced at Sheffield Hallam in 2019, The Big Read sought to bring staff and students together by providing a common ground on which to build meaningful connections and friendships.  Each year, we picked a book that we thought our Hallam community would enjoy reading and talking about, whether as part of a course or independently.  Free copies of the book were made available to students and staff, and a programme of related events ran throughout the academic year.

2022-23

The 2022-23 Big Read book was I Belong Here – A Journey Along the Backbone of Britain by Anita Sethi. Part memoir, part travelogue, the book follows Sethi’s journey from trauma to recovery, as she sets out from the Peak District and reconnects with the landscape of the North. The book explores what it means to belong – to a place and an identity – a theme we hoped all readers could connect as they embarked on a new academic year.

2021-22

The Big Read book for 2021-22 was How to Save Our Planet: The Facts by Professor Mark Maslin, an important book for anyone who wants to learn more about the climate emergency and what action we can take. Written for everybody, we hoped it would get people talking about climate change and sharing ideas for action. 

We ran events and activities connected with the book and its themes throughout the academic year.

2020-21

The book we picked for 2020-21 academic year was Natives: race and class in the ruins of empire by Akala.

‘Natives’ sets out powerful and wide-ranging arguments to help us understand inequality in the UK. It explores racism and the ongoing legacy of an appalling history of slavery, imperialism, colonialism, discrimination and prejudice – making a strong case about why we need to confront that legacy.

2019-20

Chosen for the first year of our Big Read in 2019-20, My Name is Leon by Kit De Waal tells the story of a young black boy’s quest to reunite with his beloved white half-brother after they are separated in foster care in the early 1980s.

During the academic year, there were activities relating to the novel for students and staff to get involved in. These included book clubs and discussion groups relating to the themes of the novel, including mental health issues, the care system and racial inequality. Students in their first year were encouraged to share your thoughts and experiences with each other.