BookTrust teams up with over 20 other organisations to celebrate a Summer of Reading
Published on: 07 June 2021
A full summer programme of events and activities is planned to encourage children and families to keep reading over the summer.
BookTrust has teamed up with over 20 other organisations to celebrate a Summer of Reading.
Co-ordinated by The Reading Agency and supported by Arts Council England and the Department for Culture, Media & Sport, the Summer of Reading initiative aims to get children and families reading for pleasure over the coming months.
A full programme has been planned and new activities and events, both online and in person, will be announced every week until 17 September.
The public will be encouraged to share what they're getting up to on social media using the hashtag #SummerOfReading, and there will be free resources available to families, libraries and teachers.
The initiative has been developed to make sure that children who need the benefits of reading the most have access to activities over the summer, as the effects of the Covid-19 pandemic continue to be felt by families.
The other organisations taking part in the Summer of Reading are ASCEL, Authors Aloud, Book Clubs in Schools, Bookmark, Calibre Audio, CILIP, Coram Beanstalk, Libraries Connected, National Literacy Trust, Open University, Peters, Pop Up Projects, Read for Good, SLA, The British Library, The Reader and World Book Day.
Culture Minister Caroline Dineage said:
'Reading is powerful: it teaches us new things, opens our minds, and inspires our creativity.
'Bringing together a brilliant network of libraries and other organisations, this new initiative will provide fantastic reading events and resources helping to reach those who need support the most.'
Meanwhile, Sue Williamson, Director Libraries, Arts Council England, said they are 'delighted' to be supporting the initiative.
'We believe not only in the proven power of reading in tackling societal concerns but also that reading is an immensely powerful creative act,' she added.
'As the national development agency for public libraries, we welcome the emphasis on the library network to enable so many to take part using library resources which are free at the point of contact in nearly 3,000 libraries across England.
'We also welcome the opportunity for publishers, booksellers and libraries to work together in support of this great initiative to encourage everyone to discover the magic that lives within the pages of a book.'
Topics: Reading for pleasure, News
