Many of those whose profession involves listening to others' stories are aware of the relevance of imaginative literature to their work, yet they do not have the time to explore for themselves the resources available. This text offers itself as a guide both to the wealth of texts available, and to ways of reading that extend the reader's/listener's engagement with fiction and poetry. Ben Knight argues that reflective reading is a form of personal learning on the part of counsellors or psychotherapists which enhances their practices. Such reading requires us to work at both analytical and emphatic levels. Literary reading develops the capacity to play with language and to the explore one's own relation to narrative. Sections on language, narrative and poetry take the interested reader through a variety of ways of reading. These sections are followed by a readers' guide to a selection of relevant material.
