Paul Barber On The National Year Of Reading

Actor and Essex resident Paul Barber star of Only Fools and Horses, The Full Monty and recently published author, launched the National Year of Reading’s ground-breaking national library campaign in Chelmsford Library on Friday 25th April.

Paul Barber is an actor who has graced our TV screens for over 30 years. He is best known for playing Denzil, for over a decade in Only Fools and Horses and has also appeared in The Full Monty, The 51st State and The Long Good Friday. His recently published autobiography Foster Kid is his frank, funny and heartfelt account of a young boy's life spent in a succession of children’s homes and foster families in 1950s Liverpool. 

Paul was at Chelmsford Library on the 25th April to launch the National Year of Reading’s new Library Campaign, and talk about how reading and libraries were central to his success as an actor and author.

Supported by all libraries across England, the Library Campaign encourages parents, children and young people to join their local library via a new simple membership form that can be used in any library in England.  All new members need to do is complete the form available at www.yearofreading.org.uk  and take it with one form of ID along to their local library.

The first 235,000 children, young people and families that join will receive a free copy of the exclusive National Year of Reading’s The Ultimate Book Guide and a library welcome pack. 

Paul said “It’s great to be able to launch the new Libraries Campaign in my home county of Essex. If it wasn’t for reading I wouldn’t have been able to become an actor or write my book.  Libraries today are a fantastic free resource that offers so much more than books - there’s magazines, newspapers, CDs, DVDs and the internet as well as author readings and social events. Everyone should join!”

Whilst at Chelmsford Library Paul kindly took some time out to talk via telephone to David Bishop on Drive Time about the new campaign and also his career.

A big thank you also to our own Bryan Powis for setting up this interview…..

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Article by Steve Mead, 30 Apr 2008
Posted in Drive Time

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