For nearly two years, Debbie Spain, a North London freelance writer of short stories, has witnessed the impact of reading aloud to older people in the storytelling sessions she carries out on a regular basis in eight London care homes.
Now she has published her first book, "Caught Red-Handed and Other Stories", a collection of fifteen original short stories written for older people and designed to be read aloud.
Most of Debbie's stories are set between the 1940s and 1990s and are written to be nostalgic and intriguing, with dilemmas and situations that make listeners smile. One story, about a 1940s children's school trip to an aquarium, includes their conversations on the coach, the contents of their packed lunches and the popular songs they sang while travelling.
She says:
I find my listeners forget their worries and become engrossed in stories that spark memories for them. They then want to share these memories with me and each other, which leads to lots of conversations about their lives.
Their recall of happy times, people, places and events is so enjoyable it doesn't matter to them so much if they sometimes can't remember the date or what they had for lunch.
Debbie’s first collection of stories has been published in large print in a light, easy-to-hold format designed for easier access for older readers and people with visual impairments. The book is intended as a resource for family members to buy and for care homes to offer to visitors and activity departments for ad-hoc storytelling and as a regular activity on the itinerary.
Debbie had an early demonstration of the power of a carefully written story with one of her stories, "Mildred and Muffin", written in honour of a care home resident who had a small statue of a ginger tomcat. Debbie had been a regular visitor and reader to a care home resident who never spoke, but one day, when asked which story she would prefer to hear, she suddenly said “Mildred”. Once the resident had said that first word, Debbie was able to prompt her to take part in conversations.
Reading in individual rooms also brings a sense of comfort. One resident commented how he hadn’t had a story read to him in over 70 years and how much he had enjoyed it.
Sometimes the simplest things in life are still the best
Debbie, now 61, discovered her talent and love for writing later in life. Her previous jobs as a trainer for the Whittington Hospital and Hackney Council, a sales account manager and running a Slimming World group have all built on her own cheerful and positive approach to life.
Debbie says:
I would really encourage younger people to read to their older parents, grandparents and neighbours as a way of enjoying each other's company, strengthening bonds and reducing loneliness. I would love to see storytelling to our grandparents as popular and regular as reading to our grandchildren.
Debbie will be appearing at local book signings and organised storytelling events at local community centres.