Why I read for fun, and you should too

Reading – it’s not just a really shit festival you go to after your GCSEs


It is with a despondent heart that I read that 16 per cent of adults in England are functionally illiterate. My heart grows heavier still when I find that 44 per cent of young people don’t read for pleasure. At the risk of being branded pretentious, lonely or, in some people’s eyes, even weird, I confess that I make a conscious effort to read regularly.

In fact, it would be more accurate to say that I used to make an effort, but now it’s the part of my day that I look forward to the most. Sitting in the café with my book, where I am now recognised and automatically presented with my green tea has become almost ritualistic. It allows me to forget about the stress that accompanies adulthood, and more specifically university, and enter into a completely different world.

I can put away my phone without experiencing withdrawals, ignore deadlines that are creeping up, and forget about the tenuous, newly formed friendships we are all trying to uphold. For a small amount of time, it doesn’t matter if I don’t smile, if I’m not funny or if I’m simply not in the mood to entertain. It doesn’t matter because the only people paying attention to what I am doing is the barista, and the wandering eyes of my fellow tea-drinkers. It doesn’t matter because I am too enthralled by the book to notice anything around me.

When people ask me why I enjoy reading, I find it difficult to answer without sounding ridiculous. At this point I feel the need to say that I am in no way a book connoisseur, I’m not notably cultured and, having studied science entirely since GCSEs, my worldly knowledge is limited.

Through reading books, I have learned things about myself that I hadn’t yet recognised, and in doing so inspired a sense of unity and humanity through my shared flaws. I have also learned things I never would have experienced, due to reasons such as my ethnicity, wealth, gender or culture to name a few. There are too many stories in this world to experience all of them, too many people with too many perspectives, but with each book you can gain an understanding of another person’s life, even if that person is fictional.

Reading books has also allowed me to appreciate language, how profound it can be, yet also beautiful and evocative. The ability to bring a person to tears, to make them laugh or smile, simply from the use of several words, is something that should not be overlooked.

I suppose the main question I hear is; how do you have the time to read?  We need to work more, exercise regularly, stay on top of our social media campaigns, maintain relationships, enjoy a hobby, and, for those ambitious ones among us, seize all opportunities to boost our CVs. The list is inarguably endless. So, believe me, I understand the temptation to Netflix binge after a long day. I understand the urge to hit play and  never look back.

Reading, not just a shit festival

That being said, reading has been proven to reduce the symptoms of depression and the risk of dementia in later life, and 76 per cent of adults say that reading improves their quality of life. Additionally, reading is incredibly relaxing and therapeutic – a perfect alternative to the newest Netflix series. Making time to read can also be as simple as reading in the spare few minutes before a lecture, or when your friend is running late. Filling in the gaps by reading will not only improve your life, but also make time go much quicker.

I suppose what I am trying to say is, the world of literature is a resource vastly untapped by young adults, and if you haven’t picked up a book in a while, try – you might surprise yourself and actually enjoy it.