“The poem has stayed with me”: Continued processing and impact from Shared Reading experiences of people living with cancer

Abstract

Encounters with literary texts can lead to deeply cherished memories, some of which readers may ascribe powerful and enduring functions to in terms of acquired life insights, behavioral changes, consolation, and well-being. The present article charts how texts relate to readers’ experiences and how these text-experiences are related to how they are remembered. In the context of a Shared Reading group for people living with cancer, a multiple-case study was conducted, tracing examples of enduring impressions and how these are perceived as transformative and valuable resources for the participants in coping with their disease. Qualitative and quantitative data from four readers were collected at different points in time and were analyzed through the grounded theory method and a temporality framework. The results clarify how, in the long run, literature, and in particular Shared Reading, can affect personal growth and resilience.