Record Number: 30695

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'Meeting held at 22 Cintra Avenue 4th September 1943 F. E. Pollard in the chair.
1. The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved.
[...]
6. Edith Smith opened the evening of miscellaneous readings by reading part of a short story “The Man with No Face” by Dorothy Sayers. She left the murder mystery tantalizingly unsolved, but gave us a clever and amusing picture of the occupants rightful and encroaching of a 1st-class railway carriage.
7. Mary Stansfield read from a collection of letters written by Freya Stark entitled “Letters from Syria”. These were written some years ago in an atmosphere of peace & tranquility. A particularly beautiful description of the writer’s first sight of the Greek Islands recalled to F. E. Pollard his voyage there with Charles Stansfield, about which he gave us some interesting and amusing reminiscences.
8. Arnold Joselin Read Boswells account of his first meeting with Johnson and then “My Streatham Visit” by Frances Burney in which she describes meeting Johnson at Thrale Hall and records some of the conversation at the dinner table.
9. [...] we listened to F. E. Pollard reading about “The Functional Alternative” from a pamphlet published by the Royal Institute of International Affairs entitled “A Working Peace System” by David Mitrany. The author suggests that in Post-War Europe we should pursue a line of action similar to that adopted by President Roosevelt in America in 1932/33. This started a lively discussion during which it became apparent that federal union does not function in the Pollard family.
10. Reverting to more tranquil times Howard Smith read from André Maurois’ “Life of Disraeli”. This led to the suggestion that Parliamentary speeches of today might be improved if they contained more personal venom & we were assured that Eleanor Rathbone is doing her best to liven things up.
11. Muriel Stevens read from The Autobiography of a Chinese Girl” by Hsieh Ping- Ying. This proved to be a suitably soothing and uncontroversial ending to a most varied and interesting evening.

[signed as a true record by] Howard R. Smith 6/10/1943 [at the club meeting held at Frensham: see Minute Book, p. 161]'

Century:

1900-1945

Date:

4 Sep 1943

Country:

England

Time

evening

Place:

city: Reading
county: Berkshire
specific address: 22, Cintra Avenue

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:

Arnold Joselin

Age:

Adult (18-100+)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

n/a

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

n/a

Religion:

Quaker or associated with the Friends

Country of Origin:

n/a

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:

Frances Burney

Title:

My Streatham Visit

Genre:

Autobiog / Diary

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

This journal entry for August 1778 had been widely printed and re-printed

Provenance

unknown

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

30695

Source:

Manuscript

Author:

Margaret Dilks

Title:

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

Location:

private collection

Call No:

n/a

Page/Folio:

158–161

Additional Information:

Margaret Dilks was secretary to the XII Book Club from 1940 to 1970. It is inferred from this, and from the handwriting, that she was the author of this set of minutes.

Citation:

Margaret Dilks, XII Book Club Minute Book, Vol. 4 (1938-1943), private collection, 158–161, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=30695, accessed: 25 November 2024

---

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).