the experience of reading in Britain, from 1450 to 1945...

Reading Experience Database UK Historical image of readers
 

 
 
 

Record Number: 31537


Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Meeting held at 72, Shinfield Road, 14th November 1942 Arnold Joselin in the Chair
2. In the absence of the Secretary, the Treasurer [Bruce Dilks] took it upon himself to read the minutes which were approved and signed.
[...]
5. The subject of the evening, �The Age of Pericles� was then introduced by Knox Taylor.
[...]
7. F. E. Pollard took up where Knox Taylor had left off, though as he remarked, he hadn�t been left much. Thereupon we had an able discourse on the thought and writing of the Age.
8. Arnold Joselin and Roger Moore read from Plato�s �Republic.� This was an amusing mono-duologue between Socrates and a pupil on the subject of Justice. Socrates, by completely tangling up his pupil, showed that the art of schoolmastering has changed little in 2000 years.

[signed as a true record by] Harry Stevens Dec. 12. 1942'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

14 Nov 1942

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: Reading
county: Berkshire
specific address: 72, Shinfield Road

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary reactive unknown
single serial unknown


Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Francis E. Pollard

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

1872

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Schoolteacher

Religion:

Quaker

Country of Origin:

Unknown

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

Members of the XII Book Club


Additional Comments:

n/a



Text Being Read:

Author:

Francis E. Pollard

Title:

[on the thought and writing of the Age of Pericles]

Genre:

Essays / Criticism, History, Philosophy, Athens; literature

Form of Text:

Manuscript: Unknown

Publication Details

n/a

Provenance

owned


Source Information:

Record ID:

31537

Source:

Manuscript

Author:

n/a

Title:

XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943)

Location:

private collection

Call No:

n/a

Page/Folio:

136�9

Additional Information:

Margaret Dilks, then secretary to the XII Book Club, was absent from this meeting. It is possible that Bruce Dilks took her place in writing these minutes.

Citation:

Unidentified acting secretary of the XII Book Club , XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943), private collection, 136�9, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=31537, accessed: 05 February 2026


Additional Comments:

Material by kind permission of the XII Book Club. For further information and permission to quote this source, contact the Reading Experience Database (http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/contacts.php).