Nagle Library

The time has come for me to once again gain a new perspective on the significance of reading. This month I have had the pleasure of interviewing the College’s one and only Assistant Principal Mr Hall! This time I have learnt from him that true passion will lead people to their true purpose in life.

Mr Hall revealed that his strong interest in reading kicked off at the age of 12. Sir recalled that he was extremely fond of reading “boys adventure books”. From then on he developed a passion for anything historical or novels which reflect on spirituality. Sir commented that crime and science books were not his favourites because “they’ve got to have some sort of historical element”.

Sir is fond of novels which reflect on spirituality as they provide an insight into the things we should value in life, which is basically what the human endeavour is about. He recalls this one particular text, “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” by Mitch Albom, and expresses his admiration for the novel. Sir particularly appreciates this novel because it prompts the reader to discover why each individual is so important and that everyone leads a purposeful life! He is also strongly drawn to historical fiction as he admires how the human spirit has been there throughout time, how other people have dealt with their challenges is absolutely inspiring for him to read.

Mr Hall tends to stay away from crime or sci-fi novels as he doesn’t want to be burdened by the ‘bad news’ out in the world. He chooses to focus on the positive and beautiful things in life. He is open to reading dystopia as long as it incorporates political elements.

Moreover, Sir explains that reading is incredibly beneficial as it takes you to places you’ll never be able to go to. It enables us to experience lifestyles we otherwise would have no clue about. However, the benefits of reading don’t end there because they help with form and structure when writing both for leisure and academic purposes. Mr Hall encourages people who do not read to get out there and find something to read, something which concerns their interests like biographies of sports players or finding out about famous designers. It does not have to be a novel, it could be any text which feeds their passions, as long as it gets them reading because the benefits are countless and too precious to be missing out on!

Talking to Sir is an extreme pleasure, it enables me to further understand the power of reading books. Reading can prompt you to discover why you are so important and your true purpose in life, or it can help us learn how to value the things we already have in life. Thank you once again to Mr Hall for sharing his passion for reading and congratulations to him on being November’s Staff Reader of the Month!

Happy reading everyone!

-A Chahal, Year 10