Rochdale Sixth Form students and staff receive free books as part of college pledge

Rochdale Sixth Form College student with one of the free novels

Every student and member of staff at Rochdale Sixth Form College will be given a free copy of a book as part of the college’s ‘One Book, One College, One Community’ pledge.

The free book, ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’ by Christy Lefteri, was recommended to the college by Perminder Mann, CEO of the large publishing house Bonnier Books UK, following an inspirational talk given to the students.

As part of the sixth form’s ongoing commitment to ensure students and staff have a shared enjoyment of reading, the pledge aims to promote reading and literacy beyond the classroom, helping students access and engage with literature.

In her talk, Perminder stressed the importance of reading in helping her to secure such a prominent position as one of the ‘most powerful female BAME CEOs in the country’.

A representative of Rochdale Sixth Form College said: “We agree that reading is key to developing a wide vocabulary, an understanding of the world around us, and a perfect way to switch off from the many pressures we face individually and as a community.

“Every year 12 student will receive their own copy of ‘The Beekeeper of Aleppo’ this week, before all staff receive one at the end of term and year 13 will receive theirs over the summer period. It is a beautifully written, poignant, bestselling novel.

“Rochdale Sixth Form College and Altus Education Partnership want to foster a love of reading in all our students and staff, and by sharing such a thought-provoking novel we hope it will provide a different perspective, one to consider and discuss.”

The novel by author Christy Lefteri, who worked in a refugee centre in Athens prior to writing the book, is a thought-provoking story following the tale of Afra, a woman blinded by the explosion that killed her son, and Nuri, her beekeeper husband’s attempts to escape Syria.