Open Book is looking to appoint an experienced workshop facilitator to lead shared reading sessions at HMP Low Moss (currently Friday lunch times but to be confirmed).
The initial engagement is to deliver 5 shared reading sessions in the prison before the end of March 2027. Following the successful completion of these sessions, there will be an opportunity to deliver further weekly sessions between 1 April 2027 – 31 March 2028 (30-40 sessions over the course of the year to be confirmed). The rate of pay is £115 per session, plus a £25 travel allowance per session.
Each Lead Reader will also be entitled to Open Book and SPS training time, funded at £30 per hour. The specific training required by each prison varies but is a minimum of 0.5 day in-person Personal Protection Training, a Professional Boundaries Training, and approx 5 hours Open Book specific training (usually online) across the year.
As these sessions take place in person in Glasgow, applicants living locally to the prison are preferred.
About Open Book
Since March 2013 Open Book (openbookreading.com) has run shared reading and creative writing sessions for adults. In our 2025/26 year, we’ll have delivered around 1200 sessions in approximately 70 locations – from Shetland to Stranraer and in places like Aberdeen, Inverness, Dundee and in the Central Belt. We work in a number of sectors: libraries, health care settings, with refugees and migrants, community groups, libraries, and in Scottish prisons. This role relates to our shared reading programme in HMP Low Moss. In these sessions, stories and poems are read aloud then discussed in a relaxed and informal setting.
Applicant Requirements
The successful candidate will:
- have a love of reading and books;
- have experience in community workshop delivery, ideally within a prison setting (this is strongly preferred but not essential);
- be free to run the sessions on Friday lunchtimes;
- be asked to complete a Level 2 Disclosure through Disclosure Scotland (Open Book will cover the costs of this and support the Lead Reader to complete this process);
- be asked to undertake at least one half-day training session prior to working in HMP Low Moss (Open Book will cover the costs of this training at £30 per hour, plus travel expenses); and
- be able to attend a paid online training session in the Open Book shared reading model to be held shortly after appointment.
Application Process
Please submit a letter of application and CV to amy@openbookreading.com by 12pm on Monday 23 November outlining any experience you feel would be relevant.
We anticipate that shortlisted candidates will be asked to attend an online interview during the fortnight beginning 30th November 2026.
Please direct any questions related to the application to amy@openbookreading.com.