Reading for Wellbeing: Introducing the NTU Arts Book Club

Reading for pleasure lowers your heart rate, boosts your capacity to learn – and increases your salary when you start work! We’re passionate about reading for all these reasons and more.

Whether you always have a book on the go, or reading is one of your goals for 2025, NTU Arts hosts a weekly book club where you can discover new reads and connect with students with similar interests while prioritising your wellbeing.

Becky’s Book Club takes place on Thursdays in the Knowledge Café, Boots Library, and there is a free copy of the Book of the Month for students who book a place.

The book club is a friendly get together hosted by Dr Becky Cullen and our super-welcoming student ambassadors. Becky is Director of our Writing, Reading and Pleasure (WRAP) programme and presents the Notts TV Book Club. Keep reading to find out more about the books we’ll be discussing this term and book your free place if you’d like to join. There really is something for everyone, no matter what your taste.

January: Penance by Eliza Clark

In this best-seller, part thriller, part horror, Eliza Clark manoeuvres the reader through a dizzying exploration of the effects of crime on the inhabitants of a small seaside town in decline. It’s been nearly a decade since the horrifying murder of a sixteen-year-old girl. The book recounts what happens when a journalist arrives to re-examine the case, presenting interviews with witnesses and family members, historical research, and most notably, correspondence and diaries belonging to the killers themselves. The result is a dizzying and disturbing exploration of true crime, bullying and evil.

February: Sons and Lovers by D.H Lawrence

Sons and Lovers (1913) is based on the writer’s childhood and youth in Eastwood, a mining town about 30 minutes away from the City Centre. There’s a clash between parents, a generation gap, the pull of London, the height of the mining industry and its connections with traditional gender roles. Expect brilliant description, a close mother and son bond (or is too close?), a trip to the theatre and lots of walking home because someone has missed the train. And check out the plaque for DH Lawrence in Arkwright Building. Yes! The man himself was a student in the School of Education based there Arkwright Building.

March: Homegoing by Yaa Gyasi

This intimate novel by Yaa Gyasi is about slavery, migration, and generational trauma. The novel tells the story of two sisters with two very different destinies. One is sold into

slavery and the other becomes a slave trader’s wife; this point of departure reverberates through the generations that follow. Taking us from the Gold Coast of Africa to the cotton-picking plantations of Mississippi and from the missionary schools of Ghana to the dive bars of Harlem, the novel crosses three continents and seven generations. It’s a masterpiece of a book, spanning locations and histories with a sharp eye and empathy for the characters.

April: Wild East, Ashley Hickson-Lovence

We’re so excited about this book, the latest from WRAP favourite Ashley, one of our past featured writers. It’s super accessible, written in verse, with images and even its own playlist. The book tells the story of Ronny, who lives in a dangerous part of East London. When his best friend dies from being stabbed, his mum has had enough and moves them to Norwich. Ronnie finds that being a black teenager in a mostly white school comes with its own challenges and he struggles to find his place, fighting low expectations and stereotypes. It’s when a local poet comes into class and offers new ways of thinking and expressing himself, Ronny find himself writing a future for himself.

So come along to our next book club and join the discussions in a small and friendly group of fellow booklovers.

If you’re looking for even more recommendations for your reading list, come along to meet the Book Doctors for a consultation. They’ll have a chat and prescribe a book for you to keep. Need a pick me up to see you through the darker months? Want to try a new genre? The Book Doctors are at your service. For more reading and creative writing opportunities, check out the NTU Arts What’s On, or sign up to the mailing list.

For help, advice and resources whilst studying at NTU, take a look at the following for sources of support.
Support from NTU
Self-Care books in NTU’s libraries
Silvercloud: SilverCloud is our online system designed to help with a range of mental health issues.
Health and Wellbeing resources
NTSU Information and Advice service
Wellness in Mind: Advice and support for anyone in Nottingham experiencing issues with their mental wellbeing
Student Minds or Student Space
10 Keys to happiness
Mind
Papyrus
CALM