Literacy Now, Together Podcast

E3: Illiterate at 31, a Reader at 32

August 21, 2025

How I Survived 32 Years Without Being Able to Read

n this moving episode of “Literacy Now, Together,” co-hosts Kareem Weaver of FULCRUM and Brett Tingley of Parents for Reading Justice sit down with Oliver James, a man who taught himself to read at 32 following a lifetime of hiding his illiteracy. During the COVID lockdown, Oliver set himself a personal challenge: learn to read. What began as a private goal became a transformative journey he now shares with hundreds of thousands online, rebuilding his confidence, deepening his relationships, and changing the course of his life. He speaks candidly about the decades he spent concealing his struggle—through incarceration, school expulsions, and personal hardship—before discovering that literacy can unlock freedom, choice, and self-respect. From embracing text-to-voice technology to working one-on-one with a reading specialist, Oliver’s story shows how literacy can open doors to opportunity and restore self-worth. His honesty inspires others to remove their own masks and seize the life-changing gift of reading.

Watch: YouTube

Listen: Spotify