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Wadham Reads

Wadham runs a book club for Year 12 students in UK state schools or sixth-form colleges.

Registration for the 2027 book club programme is now open.

Students work with Wadham's Tutor for English, Dr Douglas Clark

Wadham Reads encourages students to share their own ideas

Student ambassadors support discussions and share their lived experiences

Why Wadham Reads?

Wadham Reads bridges the gap between studying literature at A Level and at university. We aim to provide Year 12 students with a taste of analysing texts at degree level, using commonly studied A Level texts as a springboard for broader discussion on their literary contexts and themes.

How does it work?

The programme consists of 4 online sessions, as well as the possibility of an invite to an in-person Wadham Reads Day in Oxford. You can find out more about last year's visit here.

This year's online sessions will be based on the theme 'Possible Worlds':

  • Session 1: Monday 11th January, 16:30-17:30, Prose with Dr Douglas Clark (Tutor for English)
  • Session 2: Monday 18th January, 16:30-17:30, Drama with Dr Douglas Clark
  • Session 3: Monday 25th January, 16:30-17:30, Poetry with Dr Cat Parry (Tutor for Portuguese)
  • Session 4: Monday 8th February, 16:30-17:30, Literature in Translation (with Dr Cat Parry)

Sessions 3 and 4 introduce students to poetry in translation, encouraging them to consider studying a beginner's language alongside English.

What happens during the session?

The online sessions take place on Zoom. We provide students with 1-3 short extracts to read through in advance of the session.

Each session involves:

  • a short lecture from a Wadham tutor
  • breakout room discussion with current Wadham students
  • Wadham students share their discussions with the wider group, allowing tutors to provide feedback and answer questions
  • general Q&A with tutors and current students on studying and living at Oxford

“I’ve been introduced to new literary concepts and ideas that have enhanced my love for the subject... It’s also just made doing English at Oxford feel far less intimidating and like something I could actually pursue.”