The Nottingham Reading Programme launches once again in September 2018 — and this year, there is a different feel and approach.

In partnership with the Rights Lab – one of the University of Nottingham’s Beacons of Excellence – this year’s book is Slave: The true story of a girl’s lost childhood and her fight for survival. Telling the story of a Sudanese girl’s capture, enslavement, and ultimate escape in London in the early 2000s, the book is an insight into just one kind of slavery that unfortunately still exists within modern society.

Nottingham is home to the world’s leading contemporary slavery experts who are building the world’s first large-scale research platform for ending slavery. Working with governments and NGOs, our Rights Lab is designing new research-led antislavery interventions.

Through the Reading Programme we are encouraging students to find out more about the subject of modern slavery and take actions to support the UN Sustainable Development Goal of an end to slavery by 2030.

New students based in catered and self-catered halls will receive the books in their accommodation at the start of the September 2018 session, while new students based in private accommodation will have the opportunity to pick up a copy from one of our libraries. The books are special editions customised especially for the programme and a series of events has been planned for the academic year to support engagement.

Students will be encouraged to share their thoughts on the book, and see what others think, using the hashtag #UoNAgainstSlavery.

The Nottingham Reading Programme, launched in 2015, is designed to provide students with a conversational ice-breaker as they settle into a new place, encouraging them to think more about the world around them. Its ultimate aim is to build a sense of community among new students by providing a shared experience.

Staff across the University are invited to help support this initiative by engaging with the planned activities within the programme and encouraging students to get involved.

To find out more about the programme, have a look at the Nottingham Reading Programme website. Similarly, if you’d like to organise an activity to support the programme, get in touch with the programme leads via the information on that page.

Visit the Rights Lab blog to find out more about our decision to choose Slave for this year’s Nottingham Reading Programme.