Reading, Writing, and Mental Health

There are countless studies on how reading and writing are powerful mental health resources: the act of reading reduces stress, improves sleeping patterns, and increases brain functionality. Reading also, of course, gives us access to perspectives and experiences other than our own. We read books to learn, to be entertained, and to gain empathy for others. Perhaps most importantly, when we read, we know we are not alone.

On #BellLetsTalk Day, Penguin Random House Canada will host a free, public panel to discuss the importance of reading and writing in relation to mental health. The discussion will be moderated by Dr. David S. Goldbloom, Senior Medical Advisor and psychiatrist at the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH), and co-author of the bestselling title How Can I Help? A Week in My Life as a Psychiatrist. Our panelists include:

Don Gillmor, award-winning journalist and author of To the River: Losing My Brother, an eloquent and haunting exploration of suicide in which one of Canada’s most gifted writers attempts to understand why his brother took his own life.

Jael Richardson, author of The Stone Thrower: A Daughter’s Lesson, a Father’s Life and the forthcoming novel Gutter Child, speaks and facilitates discussions throughout the country about the importance of diverse Canadian stories, and the role that writing plays in exploring the trauma of race and racism. She is also the founder and Artistic Director for the Festival of Literary Diversity (FOLD).

Yasuko Thanh, award-winning author of Mysterious Fragrance of the Yellow Mountains and of a forthcoming memoir, Mistakes to Run With, publishing April 2019. In her memoir, Yasuko recounts her personal battle with mental health and depression, her turbulent history of abuse, and how the act of writing became a solace for her.

You must register in order to attend this event. You can also follow the discussion online @penguinrandomca and through the hashtag #BellLetsTalk.