About Us & Our Research
Dovetale Press editors Dr Sally Rimkeit and Dr Gillian Claridge believe that people living with dementia should not be deprived of the joy of reading.
Together, they have published five dementia-friendly books adapted from classic literature.
Dr Gillian Claridge, Applied Linguist
Gill is now retired but runs an online TESOL (Teaching English to Speakers of Other Languages) course. She has a Masters degree in Russian Language and Literature from St Andrews University, Scotland, a post-graduate Certificate of Education specialising in language teaching, and a Doctorate in Applied Linguistics from Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, where she won the Victoria University English Speaking Union Award in 2011.
She spent 5 years as Dean of the Faculty of International Studies at the International Pacific College in Palmerston North, before retiring to spend more time with her grandchildren and on her work with Dovetale Press.
Dr B Sally Rimkeit, Psychogeriatrician
Sally is a Consultant Adult and Old Age Psychiatrist, working as a locum and in private at The Dunes Practice in Lyall Bay, Wellington, New Zealand. She is the clinical lead for an international programme on dementia-friendly book groups.
After completing a qualitative study on younger onset dementia, she founded the Younger Onset Dementia Aotearoa Trust (YODAT), a charitable trust developing age-appropriate services for people living with younger onset dementia. She remains active on the Board.
Like Gill, she takes time out for her grandchildren and family living in Wellington.
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Research
Sally and Gill have co-authored the following research articles describing their reading and dementia programme in detail:
- B Sally Rimkeit, Gillian Claridge. Literary Alzheimer's: A qualitative feasibility study of dementia-friendly book groups. New Zealand Library and Information Management. Journal. 2018. Vol 56, Issue 2, pages 14-22.
- Alyson Baker, B Sally Rimkeit, Gillian Claridge. Promoting dementia-friendly libraries: Setting up book clubs to encourage reading and community inclusiveness for people living with dementia. New Zealand Library and Information Management Journal. June 2018. Vol 57, Issue 1.
- Gillian Claridge, B Sally Rimkeit. Can she still read? How some people living with dementia responded to the reading experience. Proceedings of the Fourth World Congress on Extensive Reading. 2018. Vol.4, pages 266-275.
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Press
- 1 News: Dementia patients reclaim skills thought lost through book clubs
- Kickstarter: Dovetale Press Books: Promote Dementia-friendly Libraries
- Stuff: Rekindling love of books for elderly and readers with dementia
- Daily Encourager: Reading between the lines
- The Star: Reading group aims to help
- Reading Together: Memory Loss and Dementia Friendly Reading Groups