Tower and Town, November 2023 (view the full edition)EditorialIt is flatly unsurprising that a love of reading underpins my career as an English teacher. Might I find myself disheartened then, in a climate of statistics bleakly depicting the notion of teenagers reading for pleasure as the weakly held hope of a bygone utopia? Pessimistic about the chance of finding students nose-down in novels or leaping at the chance to hotly debate the limits of literature? No, not least because, on the pages of this month’s Tower and Town, you’ll find hopeful evidence of all of that. This month’s issue sees another compiled from the writing of St. John’s students. Within this, some creatively recount the moment of reading something life-changingly good, some challenge us to read through a different lens, and some philosophise the purpose and parameters of literature. All are a testament to the love of reading thought to be so elusive in students of secondary school age. My thanks go to Tower and Town, for granting us the privilege of showcasing our students’ voices again. Also, to Marlborough Literature Festival for creating a buzz about reading in the town and in the minds of our students. And finally, my thanks go to the students whose work is included in these pages – for your voracious enjoyment of reading, for fanning the embers of a hope that teenagers might put down their phones and pick up a book, and – always - for making me love my job. Lauren Sankey |