The Human Library aims to break down stereotypes and ‘unlabel’ the labels that we put on people through a ‘library’ – each ‘book’ is a person, and the title of the book is the label they have been given (‘autistic’, ‘queer’, ‘depressed’, for example).

A reader will drop in and choose a ‘book’, and then chat for around 20 minutes with that person about their label, ask questions, learn and discover the human being behind the label.

Who started the Human Library™?
The Human Library is a concept created by the Danish youth organisation Stop The Violence in 2000 and it is now operational on five continents. It is a library of human beings, individuals, that each represents a group in the community that are somehow exposed to stigma, prejudice and/or discrimination. The Human Library™ aims to establish a safe conversational space, where difficult questions are expected, appreciated and hopefully answered by the Human Book on loan. It was developed to challenge societal prejudices wherever and for whatever reasons they occur, and to help people form a better understanding of those with whom they share their communities.

As part of the Literature Festival, Storyhouse will run a Human Library on Saturday 19 November 11am-3pm.

Volunteer to be a Human Book

We’re looking for people who have experienced prejudice due to issues such as race, sex, age, disability, sexual preference, gender identity, job, class, religion/belief, lifestyle choices or other aspects of who they are. You may not necessarily have experienced prejudice but if you have experienced stereotyping, misunderstanding, overcome challenges or difficulties then please do apply – we would love to hear from you.

As a Human book you embody a title which must directly reflect this in order to challenge the Reader to reflect on the stigmatisation that occurs. This could be anything – ‘depressive’, ‘vegan’, ‘Remainer’, ‘old person’, ‘disabled’ ‘police’, or any other!

You and others who have volunteered to be books will sit and have a 2-way conversation with another person (the Reader) who will ask you questions to get to know you and find out about your label. They may have prejudices but the point of this event is that they (the reader) leave 20-30 minutes later with a completely different view.

To apply as a Human Book please visit the Human Library website and quote Storyhouse as the organisation that referred you and email nicola@storyhouse.com to let her know that you’ve applied or if you have any issues with the application form.

As a Human Book you will receive expenses for example your travel, parking and lunch. This event is part of a global organisation called Human Library – click here to visit their site and find out more.