The Gifts of Reading - Softcover

Every book is a kind of gift to its reader, and the act of giving books is charged with a special emotional resonance. It is a meeting of three minds (the giver, the author, the recipient), an exchange of intellectual and psychological currency, that leaves both participants the richer. Here Robert Macfarlane recounts the story of a book he was given as a young man, and how he managed eventually to return the favour, though never repay the debt.

Commissioned in celebration of Independent Bookshop Week, this is a beautiful and moving 5,000 word essay on the power, beauty and value of the given book.

'This story, like so many stories, begins with a gift. That gift, like so many gifts, was a book...'

In this luminous essay, Robert Macfarlane reflects on the unique emotional resonance of books given and received - and how such gifts have shaped his own life.

All proceeds from the sale of The Gifts of Reading will be donated to Migrant Offshore Aid Station.