Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.

Today's reading is the short story 'The Gift of the Magi' by O.Henry. It's read by Henrik Wig, who runs Shared Reading in Sweden.

Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk  

Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.

Today's reading is the poem 'If I Could Only Take Home a Snowflake' by John Agard. It's read by Tavia Panton, who works for The Reader.

Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk  

Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.

Today's reading is an extract from the novel 'The Wind in the Willows' by Kenneth Grahame. It's read by Mary Crotty, who works for The Reader.

The Wind in the Willows at Bookshop.org

Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk  

Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.

Today's reading is an extract from the poem 'The Desire of Life' by Abu Al-Qassim Al-Shabbi, translated from the Arabic by Ali Al-Jamri. It's read by Megan Walder, who works for The Reader.

This poem is taken from the anthology Wonder: The Natural History Museum Poetry Book.

Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk  

Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.

Today's reading is an extract from the novel Charlotte's Web by E.B. White. It's read by Julie McAdam, who works for The Reader.

Charlotte's Web at Bookshop.org

Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk  

Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.

Today's reading is the poem 'Schoolboys in Winter' by John Clare. It's read by Ginny Hopton, who works for The Reader.

Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk  

Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.

Today's reading is an extract from the story 'A Christmas Memory' by Truman Capote. It's read by Grace Frame, who works for The Reader.

A Christmas Memory at Bookshop.org

Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk  

Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.

Today's reading is the poem 'Before the Ice is in the Pools' by Emily Dickinson. It's read by Lisa Brown, who works for The Reader.

Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk  

Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.

Today's reading is an extract from the novel Little Women by Louisa May Alcott. It's read by Margaret Wagstaff, who leads a Shared Reading group in London.

Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk  

Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson

Welcome to our Festive Calendar, a special series of The Reader Podcast. Every day this December we will share with you a seasonal poem or a short extract from a novel or story, read by one of our staff or volunteer Reader Leaders.

Today's reading is the poem 'Nocturnal Upon St Lucy's Day' by John Donne. It's read by Kristin Hutchinson, who works for The Reader.

Support our Christmas Appeal and make a difference to the lives of people living with dementia. Please give what you can at www.thereader.org.uk  

Production by Chris Lynn. Music by Chris Lynn & Frank Johnson