New local book group with the aim of improving mental health

Hi all

Comeback Book Group’s motto is “towards better mental health through reading and talking about books”.

The Group aims to promote the therapeutic benefits of reading quality fiction for those who are experiencing/recovering from mental health issues, to encourage purposeful reading as a means of promoting discussion and sharing ideas and to give readers an opportunity to meet socially on a monthly basis to discuss the book of the month.

Membership is aimed at SE London residents who are experiencing, are recovering from or are recovered from/in remission from mental health issues.

We will be meeting monthly in facilities provided free of charge by Alleyn’s School… The first of these meetings will be held towards the end of March.

At that meeting we’ll be discussing Muriel Spark’s “The Ballad Of Peckham Rye”. We’ve chosen this as our debut novel because it’s set locally, because Spark would have been 100 in 2018 if she was still alive and - er - because it’s a fine read which ought to give us plenty to discuss.

If you’d like to become a member of the Group, please contact us via the private messaging feature here, through email at comebackbookgroup@gmail.com or via our website [www.comebackbookgroup.wordpress.com]

Thank you.

Quick update.

Membership is now up to 11. Please feel free to get in touch for further information and/or to join the Group.

Many thanks.

Great to see help groups like this setting up. There seems to have been a big uptake in understanding and tackling mental health recently, and that is really good to see.
Not a big reader myself, so this is not for me, but fantastic to see the number that high already.

I really want to do something myself for the MH initiative, so have been working with my GP and medical students recently.
I have also seen a huge surge in cycling groups for much the same purpose, a cycle, a cake and a coffee, not forgetting a chat if you want one.

I tip my hat to you for doing this, and hope this is really successful.

Thanks, Michael. Much appreciated. Cycling is definitely a good medium for improving mental health - gets people active, out in the open air, etc AND gives people a chance during breaks to connect with others in the group. Anyway - thanks again for the encouragement. Aidan Crossey (Comeback Book Group)

We held our first meeting last night. Five of us were able to make it and we had a very lively discussion about Muriel Spark’s “The Ballad Of Peckham Rye”.

We’d be very keen to welcome new members to our second meeting, scheduled for Tuesday 24th April, when we’ll be discussing “Quarantine” by Jim Crace.

If you’d like to sign up, please get in touch through email comebackbookgroup@gmail.com or visit http://www.comebackbookgroup.wordpress.com for further information.

We met for the second time on Tuesday night when we discussed the novel “Quarantine” by Jim Crace.

We next meet on Tuesday 29th May, when we will be discussing “The Third Policeman” by Flann O’Brien.

If you would like to join the group, please email comebackbookgroup@gmail.com or visit our web page http://www.comebackbookgroup.wordpress.com

Thanks.