A slow, diverse reading and living framework for introverts, readers, and writers

Key Objectives

By the end of this curriculum, you will be able to:

• Demonstrate deeper empathy and compassion through expanded reading and reflection
• Understand and practise perspective-taking with greater confidence
• Develop a broader and more nuanced understanding of the world
• Engage thoughtfully and meaningfully with the communities around you
• Explore and develop new skills that do not require digital tools
• Engage intentionally with analogue practices and forms of living

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Please share this post with people who might enjoy this challenge. Thank you so much.

Why I Wanted a Personal Curriculum

I didn’t set a reading goal last year.

Or rather, I set the smallest one I could think of. Twelve books. One for each month. No pressure to exceed it, no chase for milestones, no gamification of something that used to bring me so much joy.

I didn’t want to be caught up in targets. I wanted to explore reading the way I did as a child, going to the library and picking up whatever was available and looked good. To my surprise, I found that by the end of the year, I read more than I ever had before.

At some point during 2025, I also stopped using the star rating system outside of platforms that require it, like StoryGraph and Goodreads. I realised that many people on social media get caught up in ratings and never read the actual review. I personally love written reviews, where I can process thoughts in my own time and engage with others about the book.

It turned out to be the right decision for me. It helped me find the right kind of community. Previously, I had started to accept that I didn’t quite belong. I had TikTok, but I found it difficult to engage with consistently. Everything is faster there and it feels more demanding. Captions are used less, and I often felt overstimulated and struggled to sit through review videos. Eventually, I stopped trying to engage consistently altogether and returned to using social media in ways that felt more comfortable to me, mainly Instagram and this blog.

As I leaned into this shift, I found myself taking more pleasure in quotes, notes, and annotations. Over the year, I wrote on Post-its, in my phone, in my Kindle, and on flash cards scattered everywhere. I also found myself with more time, which I used to create the Black British Book List. Engaging with reading in this way brought me far more joy.

This year, I bought myself an extra journal specifically for reading, where I can keep all my notes in one place. Then I sat down and decided how I want to read this year. To do that, I went back even further.

As you may know, this blog is called The Abundant Word. I chose this name because I’ve always wanted to encourage both reading and writing, and to convey the richness that comes from each.

Reading diversely provides a wealth that I believe is immeasurable, and writing is a gift that never stops giving. To me, that is true abundance.

My brief stint as a teacher (two years) also played a role. I still remember the joy of grumpy, video-game-addicted students lighting up when it was time to read a story together, especially when I made it interactive. That experience made me want to turn this idea into a personal curriculum that anyone can use. I haven’t been in a school for almost six years as I write this, so I relished the challenge of dusting off those skills.

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• Should You Tag Authors in Book Reviews?
• The Abundance Reading Curriculum 2026
• Black British Books to Pre-Order for 2026 (Release Dates & Reader Picks)
• Fancy a crime thriller set in London’s teddy boy era?
• Black British Book List Access

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What Is the Abundance Curriculum?

The Abundance Curriculum is a year-long, self-directed reading and living challenge for people who want to feel enriched, not overwhelmed. It is for people who want their reading to nourish them, without feeling like they are in a race, chasing an algorithm, or glued to a screen.

As a Millennial, I am genuinely thrilled that ‘going analogue’ is trending for 2026. In many ways, it feels like returning to simpler times. Listening to CDs and vinyl, reconnecting with nature, and reducing reliance on subscription-based services and constant screen use. This challenge is designed to complement an analogue lifestyle. And it comes from someone who grew up when this was the norm, lived through the rise of the internet, and learned how to balance both. I’ve got you.

My curriculum borrows the structure of school, objectives, categories, and intention, and replaces pressure with curiosity, presence, and depth. The aim is to explore your world in a way that helps you expand and balance in the way that suits you best. Sound good?

What I Mean by Abundance

When I talk about abundance, I’m not talking about productivity or consumption. I’m talking about depth. The abundance that comes from reading diversely, from exploring language, perspective, and understanding, and from noticing rather than rushing.

Reading expands empathy, stretches imagination, and helps us make meaning of the world and our place in it. That kind of richness can’t be measured by numbers on a screen.

While I focus my reading on these principles generally, this curriculum is my attempt to give this structure, so that the journey can be recorded and reflected on later.

How It Works

The idea is simple. Choose two focus areas from each category, and read at least one book per category.

That’s twelve books across the year, roughly one per month. But you can:

• Overlap categories

• Read slower

• Read less

• Read more

It’s completely up to you.

Each category also includes a ‘Do’ section, offering optional ideas to help you consolidate or expand on what you explore through reading. Categories can be completed in any order.

For my own version of this challenge, I’ll be focusing primarily on Black experiences across Africa and the Black diaspora, with a particular emphasis on Black British writing. The framework itself is open and adaptable, and readers are encouraged to shape it around what feels meaningful to them.

This Curriculum Is Especially Suited To:

• Introverts and reflective readers

• Anyone who wants to improve reading comprehension

• Anyone who wants to read more diversely

• People who want to try slow living, analogue practices or increasing the whimsy in their lives

• Anyone who wants to make reading part of their daily life

• Anyone craving cultural, intellectual, and emotional abundance

Getting More from the Challenge

When to Read

Make reading a habit by carving out a particular time each day or a few times a week. Even reading a single page counts. Honouring the practice consistently builds a sense of accomplishment. I’ve started reading at the beginning and end of each day instead of doomscrolling, and it has made both waking and sleeping much more pleasant.

Documenting the Journey

You’re encouraged to document your experience in a notebook or journal to reduce screen time, though digital journals are also valid. If using a device, consider keeping it on Do Not Disturb so you can focus fully.

If you share your journey online, feel free to tag @the_abundant_word.

Research

Physical books, library visits, notebooks, handwriting, and hand-written annotations are encouraged for the sensory experience and the joy of discovery without algorithms dictating what you see or bombarding you with ads.

Articles

Articles count. You’re likely already reading them but not logging them because they aren’t books. They are still reading, and you are still learning. Log them (in addition to your books). Read long-form journalism, magazines, blogs, recipes, and newspapers (consider supporting your favourite creators). Celebrate everything you learn. You can find the articles I referenced while writing this post at the end.

New Vocabulary

Highlight new words and quotes. E-readers are especially helpful for instant definitions. Writing definitions by hand can be calming, and research suggests that the action of writing helps with memory retention.

Own Voice

When reading about cultures outside your own, prioritise own-voice perspectives where possible. That means books written by people with lived experience of the culture or community being discussed.

Scope

You may want to focus on a specific region, diaspora, or continent. You can tailor this challenge to help you read diversely within a diaspora or region as well. This is your challenge!

Start Time

You can begin this challenge at any time and run it for as long as you like. The current StoryGraph challenge will run until the end of January 2027.

Re-reads

The aim of this challenge is being intentional. If you want to re-read something for this challenge, then do it! We experience things differently every time we interact with them. Pay attention to what feels new or different.

Discussion

Talking about what you’re learning is one of the most powerful ways to build confidence and deepen your understanding. When you put ideas into words, you start to notice what you understand clearly, what you’re curious about, and what you want to explore next.

Discussion doesn’t have to mean speaking in front of a group. If sharing with others feels difficult right now, you can still get all the benefits by talking things through on your own. Try speaking your thoughts out loud while you’re walking, recording a quick voice note, or talking to your camera just for yourself. Hearing your own voice explain an idea helps you practise language, organise your thoughts, and become more comfortable expressing what you know. The goal is practice, not performance.

However, if you do want to share reflections or leave comments as you read, you can do so through the challenge on StoryGraph.

Rest

The aim of this challenge is to take information in at your own pace. It can be tempting to try and go faster when taking part in a challenge. But remember, this is for you and no one else. Rest matters. That includes sleep, breaks between reads, and allowing ideas time to settle. The optional “Do” activities offer variety and balance.

Resources

I’ll share support materials throughout the year, so make sure you’re subscribed. If you have ideas for additional resources, feel free to leave a comment or get in touch.

The Six Abundance Categories

1. Cultural Abundance

Objective:

Explore culture and how people live, create, celebrate, and make meaning in different societies.

Choose one or two areas:

A. Global Culture and Daily Life

Read works centred on a culture different from your own.

This may include:

• Contemporary novels set in another country

• Memoirs or novels exploring immigration and belonging

• Essays on daily life elsewhere

• Letters, diaries, or epistolary writing

• Poetry rooted in a specific cultural perspective

• Immersive travel writing

• Journalism on housing, education, work culture, or community life

B. Arts, Architecture, and Creative Culture

Read about artistic or creative work from a chosen culture.

This may include:

• Visual art traditions

• Fashion or textile culture

• Architecture or city design

• Long-form writing on cultural aesthetics

• Essays on creative movements

C. Local Culture

Read about a community you identify with.

Examples include:

• A biography of a local figure

• Essays on identity or belonging

• Poetry by a local writer

• Local newspapers or blogs

Do (optional):

Visit museums, exhibitions, cafés, performances, libraries, notice boards, street art locations, or cultural events. Observe, sketch, wander, research, and notice what makes places unique.

2. Literary Abundance

Objective:

Expand literary awareness through new forms, genres, eras, and perspectives.

Choose one or two categories:

A. Forms & Structures

Read outside the traditional novel.

Options include:

• Anthologies
• Short story collections
• Essay collections
• Poetry books
• Plays
• Graphic novels
• Scripts

B. Time Periods & Movements

Read intentionally from different eras.

Examples:

A 19th century work

A 20th century work

C. Classics

Read a book that is considered a classic

D. Banned Books

Read a book that has been or is on a ‘banned’ list

E. Genre

Read a book from a genre or sub-genre you rarely dip into.

Do (optional):

Read with friends, journal, join a book club (online is fine), try a digital reading marathon, take part in a book swap, attend blind-date-with-a-book events, read outdoors or at a coffee shop, volunteer to read with learners, annotate, create mood boards, or keep a reading voice diary.

3. Mythology and Belief Abundance

Objective:

Explore stories, symbols, and belief systems that shape language, culture, and meaning.

Choose one or two categories:

A. Mythology & Folklore

Read myths, legends, or folklore from any culture.

This may include:

• Mythology and folklore collections from around the world
• Oral storytelling traditions
• Books on mythic archetypes across cultures
• Modern retellings
• Myths related to nature
• Myths relating to the sky and space

B. Belief Systems, Superstition & Ritual

Read about belief beyond doctrine.

Reading may include:

• Another religion or spiritual system
• Superstitions tied to everyday objects and the home
• Symbolism behind traditions
• Creation Stories across cultures
• Paranormal tale in any genre
• Seasonal and agricultural traditions
• Beliefs tied to nature
• Sacred geometry or symbolic patterns
• Stories related to sailors and the sea

C. Psychology, Meaning, and the Human Imagination

Read about why humans create myths and rituals, and how these stories help with understanding or achievement.

Reading may include:

• Dream symbolism across cultures
• Creation stories
• Book where myth help people make sense of fear, trauma, hope, love, or the unknown
• A book that teaches specific belief systems to help people achieve something
• A book about archetypes and the collective imagination
• A book on how belief systems might be weaponised
• Graphic novels or comics using mythic imagery and a strong moral message
• A collection of fables

Do (optional):

Create mythical creature glossaries, learn myth-related crafts or songs, trace symbols, visit significant sites, rewrite myths, watch adaptations, or attend storytelling events.

4. Historical Abundance

Objective:

Explore different historical periods to root yourself in time, place, and context through historical reading.

Choose one or two categories:

A. Local & Social History

Read about the histories that shaped the place and communities you belong to, such as the people, movements, and stories that influenced your town, region, or social world.

Reading topics may include:

• The history of your town or city
• The development of your community or neighbourhood
• Social movements that shaped local life
• Overlooked or marginalised histories connected to your area
• How immigration and migration has shaped your local area
• The history of a marginalised group in your local area or country

B. Everyday History

Read about how ordinary people lived in the past by exploring the history of daily routines, objects, and experiences.

This may include:

• Clothing and fashion
• Food and cooking
• Money and trade
• Domestic life and home routines
• Work and labour
• Leisure, hobbies, and entertainment

C. Movements, Empires & Turning Points

Read about large‑scale forces that shaped societies — the rise and fall of empires, major cultural or political movements, and the turning points that changed the course of history.

This may include:

• The rise and fall of empires (e.g., Mali, Ottoman, Mongol, Aztec, British, Mughal)
• Major cultural movements (Renaissance, Enlightenment etc.)
• Political or social movements (civil rights, suffrage, labour movement etc.)
• Scientific or technological revolutions (printing, industrialisation etc.)
• Global turning points (exploration, pandemics, revolutions, climate events)
• The spread of languages, religions, or trade networks

D. Ideas, Knowledge & Intellectual History

Read about how human ideas have evolved in science, philosophy, education, law, medicine, or political thought, and how these ideas have shaped societies.

This may include:

• The history of scientific breakthroughs
• The evolution of education or childhood
• The history of medicine or healing traditions
• The development of political ideas (democracy, rights, justice)
• The history of philosophy or ethics
• The history of communication (printing, libraries, literacy)
• Early feminist or womanist texts

E. History and Relationships

Read about how history impacts relationships in the past and the modern day

This may include:

• Dual timeline books on relationships
• Historical fiction or non-fiction detailing the story of a couple or family during major historical events
• Generational tales showing how the past impacts the present
• Memoirs focused on generational trauma and healing

Do (optional):

Explore archives, read old maps, be a tourist in your city, shop second-hand books, conduct interviews on the past, or try comparative media analysis.

5. Language and Expression Abundance

Objective:

Explore language, voice, and expression across cultures and forms.

Choose one or two categories:

A. Translated & Multilingual Reading

Read work that was originally written in another language to experience different rhythms, worldviews, and expressive traditions.

This may include:

• Translated fiction or nonfiction
• Bilingual or multilingual poetry
• Essays from another linguistic context
• Graphic novels in translation
• Short stories or folktales from another language tradition
• Contemporary writing from diasporic or multilingual authors

B. Language Study & Craft

Read about language itself — how it works, how it changes, and how people use it to express identity, culture, and creativity.

This may include:

• Linguistics for general readers
• The history or evolution of a language
• Dialects, patois, creoles, or oral traditions
• Books on etymology or word origins
• Writing craft books focused on style, voice, or syntax
• Studies of slang, code‑switching, or multilingual identity
• Books on typography and the impact of lettering on communication
• History focused on written language, writing tools, and how they helped shape societies.

C. Expression, Voice & Style

Read about how writers, speakers, and creators develop voice, tone, and expressive style across different forms.

This may include:

• Books on rhetoric or persuasive language
• Books on public speaking
• Studies of storytelling techniques
• Works on spoken‑word, performance poetry, or orality
• Books on translation
• Essays on voice, tone, and creative expression

Do (optional):

Attend open mics, write letters by hand, compare translations, watch foreign films, try calligraphy, play word games, or practise handwriting.

6. Creative and Inner Abundance

Objective:

Read for creativity, care, pleasure, and inner richness.

Choose one or both categories:

A. Creative Practice

Read about or within a creative field, letting yourself explore forms of expression without needing to master them.

This may include:

• Writing craft
• Photography
• Architecture
• Drawing
• Journalling
• Textile arts
• Collage or mixed‑media
• Nature sketching
• Creative play or improvisation

B. Care, Attention & the Inner Life

Read books that help you slow down, notice more, and cultivate a deeper, gentler relationship with your inner world.

This may include:

• Reflective essays
• Philosophy for everyday life
• Books on slow living
• Embodiment and attention
• Books on wonder, awe, or curiosity
• Nature writing
• Contemplative practices
• Emotional literacy

Do (optional):

Create, have a spa day, enjoy a sofa day, start a wonder log, journal, have an unbirthday party, create a themed meal for yourself, wander around a flower market, decorate your space seasonally, have a picnic, have a puzzle evening, grow herbs on the window sill, spend an evening colouring or painting by numbers, annotate a copy of your favourite book, or simply enjoy being.

Like the sound of this challenge? Join the StoryGraph Challenge

Add your reads and track your journey. See you there!

Reflections

Did anything surprise you about your reading this year? I’d love to hear about it! Let me know in the comments!

References

Handwriting but not typewriting leads to widespread brain connectivity:

F. R. Van der Weel and Audrey L. H. Van der Meer

https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/psychology/articles/10.3389/fpsyg.2023.1219945/full

Writing things down may help you remember information more than typing

By Chen Ly, New Scientist, 26 January 2024https://www.newscientist.com/article/2414241-writing-things-down-may-help-you-remember-information-more-than-typing/

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