The Artists

Lizz Tuckerman trained in fine art at Sheffield Hallam University and has worked as a freelance professional for 15 years. Lizz created an exhibition ‘In Praise of Libraries’ in response to the audio tracks and transcripts collected by the Reading Sheffield Team.

The Making of In Praise of Libraries 

I originally trained and worked as a scientist which has led to an especial interest in working across disciplines. This is my first venture into the academic world of literature and people who are just passionate about reading.

I love the old books, their materiality, the thumbed pages, the coffee stains of their history, and the changing design of material, typeface and illustration which make them of their time. And that time is actually my parents’ time so I am transported back into the 1950’s via the design of a book cover. 

Dennis Tuckerman is an audio magician. After a lifetime playing blues guitar he took himself off to Red Tape Studios to learn music production. Dennis produces audio effects for artists and edited the Reading Sheffield audio tapes and the sound for ‘In Praise of Libraries’ .

Jean Compton is a community artist. Jean created the Story Telling Cloak Sculpture and Flying Off the Page for Reading Sheffield Workshops, and with lots of volunteers helping, the general public covered it with images from their favourite books.  It stood proudly in the Winter Gardens subsequently for a couple of weeks.

I spent my childhood drawing whenever I could.  My parents encouraged me by getting me the necessary tools for Christmas and birthdays and I was the proud owner of a very good set of water-  colours while still comparatively young.  My father made me an art case out of an old gramophone box, so that I could carry my landscape oil paintings without smudging when I had been out in the countryside painting.

After graduating in Art and Education from Sheffield University, I worked for a number of years teaching painting and clay work to adults for Sheffield LEA.  I subsequently began to work in Community Arts and to enjoy working with a group, sharing ideas and creating something together.

I have exhibited photography and banners in Huddersfield and Cambridge, and painting and sculpture in Halifax, Wakefield, Pontefract and Sheffield.

Now that I have retired from my Community Arts work I am enjoying printmaking, life drawing and stone- carving.

Tom Stayte is a portrait photographer. He recorded portraits of some of the contributors to Reading Sheffield during a Reading Sheffield event in the Carpenter Room at Sheffield Central Library.

Portraits of Sheffield Readers by Tom Stayte