Ritchie Robertson on the Reading Revolution of the 18th Century
February 23, 2021
In the mid-to-late 18th century, the reading public grew so sharply in Britain, France and Germany that historians speak of a reading revolution. Reading was often a shared activity. Rousseau recounts how he and his father read aloud to each other, often continuing all night until they heard the dawn chorus. But it was also, and increasingly, a solitary practice, especially popular among middle-class women who had leisure, access to artificial light, and enough money to buy books. People not only read more: they read differently, becoming more involved in fictional worlds. The first-person singular becomes increasingly popular as a narrative device, which brings the protagonist close to the reader. Such stories often recount the protagonist’s progress through sin and error to an understanding of his faults and the reception of divine grace.
Time to take action on mental health issues, says Caithness councillor By Gordon Calder Published: 10:00, 11 December 2020
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ACTION has to be taken now to help young people in Caithness with mental health issues. That is the view of local councillor, Nicola Sinclair, who hopes the first steps to achieving that aim can be taken at a special meeting of the Caithness Area Committee being held remotely today (Friday).
It will be attended by the chief executives of Highland Council and NHS Highland â Donna Manson and Pam Dudek respectively â as well as Police Scotland chief superintendent, Conrad Trickett. Also there will be representatives from a variety of organisations, including Scottish Fire and Rescue Service, Scottish Ambulance Service, High Life Highland, Caithness Community Planning Partnership, Caithness Voluntary Group and others.