UK government launches £27.5m package for libraries as part of National Year of Reading 2026 campaign.
The culture secretary's announcement came on the back of research by the National Literacy Trust, which found that only one in three children and young people aged eight to 18 now enjoy reading "very much" or "quite a lot". This has led the government to launch the National Year of Reading, a year-long campaign aimed at boosting reading for pleasure among children and young people.
The campaign will work with schools, communities, libraries, and early years settings to promote reading as a fun and enjoyable activity. Malorie Blackman, author of Noughts & Crosses, has become an ambassador for the campaign, stating that "reading is so important for understanding the world around you." She also believes that reading should be made accessible to all types of readers, including those who enjoy graphic novels or comic books.
The government has pledged £27.5m for libraries and other initiatives as part of the National Year of Reading. This package includes funding for every state primary school in England to have a library by the end of this parliament. Rachel Reeves has also promised that every school will have access to high-quality reading materials.
Other plans include an inquiry into reading for pleasure, launched in late November, and the launch of the Children's Booker prize, which aims to promote children's literature and encourage young readers to discover new authors and genres. The first winner of the prize will be announced early next year, with £50,000 awarded for the best fiction for readers aged eight to 12.
The campaign is also encouraging parents to "lead by example" when it comes to reading habits and to read with their children. This approach aims to create a lifelong love of reading among children, as well as promote social and emotional skills such as empathy and self-regulation.
The culture secretary's announcement came on the back of research by the National Literacy Trust, which found that only one in three children and young people aged eight to 18 now enjoy reading "very much" or "quite a lot". This has led the government to launch the National Year of Reading, a year-long campaign aimed at boosting reading for pleasure among children and young people.
The campaign will work with schools, communities, libraries, and early years settings to promote reading as a fun and enjoyable activity. Malorie Blackman, author of Noughts & Crosses, has become an ambassador for the campaign, stating that "reading is so important for understanding the world around you." She also believes that reading should be made accessible to all types of readers, including those who enjoy graphic novels or comic books.
The government has pledged £27.5m for libraries and other initiatives as part of the National Year of Reading. This package includes funding for every state primary school in England to have a library by the end of this parliament. Rachel Reeves has also promised that every school will have access to high-quality reading materials.
Other plans include an inquiry into reading for pleasure, launched in late November, and the launch of the Children's Booker prize, which aims to promote children's literature and encourage young readers to discover new authors and genres. The first winner of the prize will be announced early next year, with £50,000 awarded for the best fiction for readers aged eight to 12.
The campaign is also encouraging parents to "lead by example" when it comes to reading habits and to read with their children. This approach aims to create a lifelong love of reading among children, as well as promote social and emotional skills such as empathy and self-regulation.
The UK government is really stepping up its game for literacy education 
! I'm all about promoting a love of reading from a young age, it's so important for kids (and let's be real, adults too 
) to develop those critical thinking skills and empathy. £27.5m is a huge investment and I think it'll really make a difference 
. Libraries are such an underrated resource and I'm stoked they're getting some serious funding 
. Malorie Blackman is a great ambassador for this campaign, she's all about making reading accessible to everyone 
. Can't wait to see the impact of this National Year of Reading 
just think about all the kids who dont even touch books nowadays, its like they are missing out on so much 
and then u see this £27.5m package being dropped on libraries and schools 
and ur like yay more books for everyone? 
but seriously, i think its a great idea to make reading accessible to all types of readers, including graphic novels and comic books 
. And what about the quality of libraries they're funding? Are we just getting more books and fancy new shelves or are there actually going to be programs for kids to participate in?
, another year and still not enough people reading for pleasure... only 1 in 3 kids aged 8-18 enjoy reading that much? 
What's wrong with our generation? 
Now it's all about gadgets and video games. But you know what's crazy? The gov's actually puttin' some cash behind the National Year of Reading campaign to try and turn that around. It's about time, if you ask me! They're even gettin' Malorie Blackman on board, which is fab. And I love the idea of every school havin' a library by the end of this parliament... that's like somethin' outta a storybook! 
I mean, £27.5m is a nice chunk of change, but let's be real, most libraries are just going to use it to prop up their outdated collections and not actually do anything innovative. And what's with this whole "National Year of Reading" thing? It sounds like they're trying to rebrand reading as some kind of cool, fun activity again... like we've never tried that before 
. I'm skeptical about how much actual change will come out of this campaign, but hey, maybe it'll be a nice gesture.
I'm like super curious about this National Year of Reading campaign in the UK... how's it gonna work? 
I'm also wondering if they're gonna include more diverse book choices... like graphic novels and comic books, right? 
but at least the gov is trying something new 
. malorie blackman's right, reading should be fun and not just about grades 
! but what really gets me is that they're trying to make parents read with their kids too 
. i think this campaign has potential to make a real difference in literacy rates 
! £27.5m is a pretty cool amount of cash to be thrown at libraries & schools. I mean, who doesn't love a good book, right? 
Plus, it's awesome that Malorie Blackman is on board as an ambassador – she's like, totally passionate about promoting reading! 
. And it's dope that they're investing in schools and libraries so every kid can have access to quality reading materials 
.