Tina reads "The Roots of Literacy"

“Bound by trends, other people’s wardrobes and CD collections are pretty predictable, but their bookcases are places of near-infinite possibility, where what’s implied by a copy of Wuthering Heights (1847) depends upon whether it’s shelved next to Wittgenstein’s Tractatus (1922), a weight-loss manual or Sun Tzu’s Art of War (c.400BC). What other people’s bookshelves never tell us, however, is the “why” behind each book. The “why” is about the roots of literacy, and these are often grubby, underground things.” Tina reached back into the archive to find Tom Morton's "The Roots of Literacy", from our 5th anniversary issue in 2003, to celebrate the launch of our Summer Reader. Head here to read the essay and to our online shop to buy your own copy of the 2022 Summer Reader.   Tank Magazine · 22.06 TANK Podcast