1 00:00:06,259 --> 00:00:10,119 Do you think children should be made to study classic literature at school? 2 00:00:12,619 --> 00:00:14,279 I don't know about the classic literature bit. 3 00:00:14,519 --> 00:00:18,019 I kind of think it's been similar for a long time, hasn't it, 4 00:00:18,019 --> 00:00:19,980 the kind of texts that you have to study at school. 5 00:00:20,359 --> 00:00:23,379 I think it's far more important to get children into reading, 6 00:00:23,839 --> 00:00:29,120 and I think there's such a diverse range out there now of, you know, 7 00:00:29,179 --> 00:00:32,500 young adult books and all kinds of things that children might be interested in 8 00:00:32,500 --> 00:00:36,539 that I think is more relative to kind of what they're going through 9 00:00:36,539 --> 00:00:38,899 and might inspire them to get reading 10 00:00:38,899 --> 00:00:41,539 and then maybe progress to some classics if they wanted to. 11 00:00:41,820 --> 00:00:45,179 So perhaps the more important thing is actually just to get children reading 12 00:00:45,179 --> 00:00:48,840 whatever type of literature that takes. 13 00:00:49,000 --> 00:00:49,340 Yeah. 14 00:00:49,719 --> 00:00:51,060 Rather than what it is that they read. 15 00:00:51,119 --> 00:00:53,399 I mean, arguably, if a child is given Shakespeare, 16 00:00:53,619 --> 00:00:57,840 Shakespeare can be really hard to access, can't be really hard to read. 17 00:00:57,840 --> 00:01:00,299 And a child who doesn't find it easy to read 18 00:01:00,299 --> 00:01:01,840 actually just might find that really difficult. 19 00:01:02,619 --> 00:01:03,560 It might just put them off reading. 20 00:01:03,820 --> 00:01:05,019 I think that's the important thing. 21 00:01:05,019 --> 00:01:09,879 it's all about when it's introduced yeah I remember and how actually yeah and how definitely 22 00:01:09,879 --> 00:01:18,040 yeah I think I remember being a 14 15 year old in class reading Shakespeare and thinking what 23 00:01:18,040 --> 00:01:23,579 is why on earth are we doing this yeah I couldn't think of anything more useless I think and then I 24 00:01:23,579 --> 00:01:29,239 remember a turning point at about 16 thinking hang on this is actually quite interesting 25 00:01:29,879 --> 00:01:33,680 This is someone who wrote something 500 years ago 26 00:01:33,680 --> 00:01:36,200 and I'm sort of getting what they mean. 27 00:01:36,480 --> 00:01:38,859 I think there was something really quite magical in that. 28 00:01:39,140 --> 00:01:40,200 There was that continuity. 29 00:01:40,799 --> 00:01:42,280 And maybe if you hadn't been made to read that, 30 00:01:42,359 --> 00:01:44,640 you'd have probably never picked that book up off the shelves. 31 00:01:44,659 --> 00:01:46,439 Yeah, I think that's the thing. 32 00:01:46,500 --> 00:01:49,840 If you don't do it at school, when will you see the classics? 33 00:01:50,939 --> 00:01:53,219 And I guess it's how it's taught you as well. 34 00:01:53,219 --> 00:01:57,200 If you see it as kind of a boring text that doesn't mean anything to you, 35 00:01:57,200 --> 00:01:59,359 but then with Shakespeare, for example, 36 00:01:59,519 --> 00:02:02,420 all the idioms and all the language that he created, 37 00:02:02,420 --> 00:02:05,620 that makes it more related to everyday life, doesn't it? 38 00:02:05,760 --> 00:02:06,560 Yes, yes. 39 00:02:06,560 --> 00:02:08,219 But then I think some classics... 40 00:02:08,219 --> 00:02:10,379 I read my first Jane Austen recently 41 00:02:10,379 --> 00:02:15,120 and just the dialogue and it's quite long-winded 42 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:17,939 and they're all obsessed with marriage and stuff 43 00:02:17,939 --> 00:02:20,020 and that just kind of turns you off, doesn't it? 44 00:02:20,879 --> 00:02:23,479 So I think it depends on the books. 45 00:02:24,300 --> 00:02:25,400 Yes, I think it does. 46 00:02:25,400 --> 00:02:28,000 and how they're put across, I think is really important too. 47 00:02:28,000 --> 00:02:31,599 And maybe classical, but also being part of a much wider curriculum. 48 00:02:31,719 --> 00:02:32,599 Yeah, definitely.