Dr Kevin Harvey is an Associate Professor of Sociolinguistics in the School of English. Harvey's research interests focus on the use of language and literature in social and therapeutic contexts. His book (Bloomsbury, 2025) examines the contribution that imaginative literature can make to improving health and quality of life, particularly in the context of reading aloud and shared reading. Written for a general audience, the book affirms the importance that language and literature can play in our lives, reminding us of reading's enduring, and sometimes surprising, ability to help us through times of illness, grief, and uncertainty.
The Literary Lifeline also explores dementia and ageing. This book challenges the common assumption that cognitive decline destroys personality, and shows how it is still possible for people with dementia to maintain a sense of self and personal identity.
Reading for Dementia
His newest poetry anthology, Golden Verses: Poems for Every Moment, brings together poems from across the globe that invoke the senses and support memory recall. It contains a mixture of classics, such as 'She walks in beauty like the night' by William Blake, and more modern works such as 'Jellybean' by Alex Wharton.
The poems are accompanied by images and sometimes questions meant to promote discussion and memories through personal reflection. It is designed to be read or used by different people, not necessarily just those with dementia, either individually or read aloud as a group. The chosen poems cover a variety of different themes, moods and settings in order to appeal to a wide audience including those who may not know the poems or read poetry often.
The project aims to promote a person-centred care and wellbeing for those with dementia in care homes where materials or meaningful activities may be scarce. The anthology was created using a combination offocus groups and feedback from care home staff, visitors and residents to determine the contents and design. Once designed, the anthology was trialled with participants in a local residential care and memory café.
This project is funded by .
Role out in Care Homes
The anthology will roll out in care homes across Nottinghamshire and will be used in CPD activities for care home staff to train them to use the anthology for poetry therapy and other related activities.