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Meet your hosts
Hello, We're Christen and Helen, friends and avid readers, living in the far west of Cornwall. Like C.S. Lewis, we love nothing more than sitting down for a few hours with a big cup of tea, a good book and no distractions but it's rare that we manage it.
There's always something to do - an email to answer, a job to finish or an errand to be run. That's why we created The Reading Party. It's an opportunity to read and relax away from the demands of home and work.
Christen is a journalist and former bookseller. She is also a Pilates teacher and personal trainer and brings almost 20 years of experience to By the Book's Well Read retreats.
She has a large collection of vintage Penguin books and not enough shelf space for them all.
Helen is an artist, entrepreneur and mother of five who loves nothing more than cooking up a storm for our legendary retreat mealtimes. Her house is pretty much held up by books and when not reading she can be found secretly buying more.
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