Newcomer Resources

Resources for newcomers

Welcome to the fellowship!

If you’re new to AA and only just starting your amazing recovery journey, you may be a bit bewildered by the range of books and other literature people are suggesting you read. Here’s a bunch of links and some guidance notes to get you started.

“Old timers” may also find this page useful. There’s always more recovery literature to be discovered. If anyone thinks there’s a book or other resource worth includiung here, please drop us a line: ecomm.sbedfordshire@aamail.org

AA Virtual Starter Pack

At your very first AA meeting, you’re likely to be handed a plastic wallet containing a few leaflets about alcoholism and how AA has helped millions of people to get sober and stay sober. If you haven’t received this so called Starter Pack, you can ask for one next time you’re at a meeting or you can follow the links below:

AA Virtual Starter Pack

* Who, Me?
* The Newcomer Asks.
* Now that you have stopped – 15 Points
* Just for today
* Preamble, 12 Steps, 12 Traditions and Serenity Prayer card
* Medical & Safeguarding card

The "Big Book" of Alcoholics Anonymous

When you start going to AA meetings, you're going to hear people talking about the Big Book. That's AA jargon for the book, Alcoholics Anonymous, first published in 1939, from which our fellowship gets its name. It's strongly advised that you buy your own Big Book and read a bit of it every day.

For now though, here's a link to Edinburgh and Midlothian AA's online version of the book that, for nearly 90 years, has been helping people all over the world to get sober and stay sober.

The "Big Book."

Other Resources

If that’s whetted your appetite, here’s some more newcomer-focused AA Literature.