GIVING BACK

Street Reads has been backed by leading city authors such as Ian Rankin and publishers Canongate, who have donated several titles of their own.

“Feeding and clothing the homeless is done very well by lots of organisations in every city,” explained Rachel. “Giving someone a book is not a luxury, as some people think.

“Being homeless is a very lonely business. Giving a book offers the chance to escape into another world.”

Rachel, who grew up in Fife, moved to Edinburgh in 2014 after retiring from English National Opera.

She was inspired to launch Street Reads after meeting a homeless woman on Leith Walk in spring 2015.

“One day I noticed she was reading, and as a keen reader myself, I asked her how important books were to her,” Rachel said

“She told me she sometimes thought books were more important than food. That was the spark that got me thinking.”

Street Reads has built partnerships with established projects in the capital which help homeless individuals, including Social Bite and Street Works.