More than 350 delegates attended Booktrust’s first bookgifting conference on Tuesday 3 March at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre in Westminster, London.

The gift of books: inspiring a lifelong love of reading was the message of the day, as a variety of well-known and expert voices lent their support to Booktrust’s ambitions to inspire, extend and encourage the pleasure of reading for all.

Representatives from a wide range of backgrounds including early years settings, libraries, schools, publishers and overseas organisations were keen to hear about the successes, aims and future plans of Booktrust’s three bookgifting programmes, and to discuss best practice and best ways to build on Booktrust's work to ensure targeted provision and better access to books.

Michael Rosen stressed that the best plan for improving literacy was to read whole books

As Viv Bird, Chief Executive of Booktrust commented: 'Booktrust has unique expertise in bookgifting in the UK and our programmes have grown enormously in the last few years. We felt that it was an appropriate time to host an event to examine its development, discuss best practice and find the best ways to build on our work with partners to ensure targeted provision and better access.'

Professor Tanya Byron, best known for her television work on children’s behavioral programmes such as House of Tiny Tearaways, proved a lively and entertaining host for the day, fielding questions from the floor and introducing special guest speakers such as Beverley Hughes, Minister of State for Children, Young People’s and Families and Majo de Saedeleer, Director of Stichting Lezen (the Reading Foundation) in Flanders,Belgium.

A highlight of the conference was the panel debate on the challenges of keeping children and young people reading. This proved a lively and stimulating discussion as Children's Laureate Michael Rosen claimed that 'one simple thing' was needed to make children into lifelong readers: for government to 'send a directive to every school to work out a policy for creating a book-loving school'.

Rosen went on to stress that the best plan for improving literacy was to read whole books (not 'torn-up books, otherwise known as worksheets') to children. Kate Wilson, MD of Scholastic insisted that knowledge of children's literature should be a mandatory part of teacher-training, and not an optional extra, and that Ofsted should be made to inspect and rate school libraries.

The Letterbox Club, which provides an individually addressed parcel of books, maths materials and games to children in foster care, was represented by Lemn Sissay, artist in residence at the South Bank Centre and Letterbox Club patron. Lemn spoke movingly about his own experiences of growing up in care, of the books that set him free creatively and enabled him to realise his talents as a writer.

Booktrust’s many projects, prizes, websites, and initiatives were on display in the exhibition hall, which proved the ideal opportunity for introductions and discussions. It was a hugely inspiring day and Booktrust would like to thank all their supporters for making it such a successful event.

The success of the day has already ensured planning for a subsequent conference which will take place on 3 March 2011.