£81 billion a year in lost earnings and welfare spending due to low levels of literacy.
Everything changes when you read.
We’re a UK charity with a mission to empower people of all ages to read.
Help change lives through reading
Reading for pleasure and empowerment makes us more aware and informed. It helps us grow our imaginations. It makes us more empathetic and understanding of other people and cultures. It supports our health and wellbeing. It increases our ability to learn new skills. It helps us to communicate our ideas more effectively. It opens doors. It brings joy.
Please donate to support our work.
Our Research
Research and evidence is central to helping us achieve our mission. We speak to people of all ages across the UK to understand how and why they read, the successes and challenges they face and how our work can make a real difference.
1 in 4 children don’t reach the expected level of reading by the age of 11
Featured booklist: Quick Reads 2024
Resources for Librarians
Promote Your School prize draw T&Cs for libraries
This document outlines the terms and conditions for library authorities relating to the 2024 prize draw from Promote Your School.
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DofE Award: volunteering opportunity poster
Are there volunteering opportunities available at your library this summer to support the Summer Reading Challenge? Use this eye-catching poster to let people know! The…
DofE Award: week-by-week structure for volunteers
This planner is for library staff who are offering volunteering opportunities linked to this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. Young people who are working towards completing…
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Customisable Book Bag Flyer - Marvellous Makers
You can use this flyer (customisable version included) to help encourage children to return to the library for Summer Reading Challenge. When children attend a…
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Latest News
How To Get into Reading
If you’re someone who has always wanted to get into reading but didn’t know where to start, you’re in the right place! Read our tips to unlock the joy of reading.
The Booker Prizes Announce the International Booker Prize 2024 Shortlist
The International Booker Prize 2024 shortlist that ‘interweaves the intimate and political in radically original ways’ has been announced.
The Reading Agency and Manchester Libraries team up with CBBC for the Blue Peter Book Club Live
Blue Peter, the world’s longest running kids TV show, is partnering with The Reading Agency and Manchester Libraries on an exciting new initiative called The Blue Peter Book Club Live.
Library Facts
Explore key facts about libraries, including the numbers of libraries, the demographics of library users and the outcomes of using libraries.
Reading Facts
We want to create a world where everyone is reading their way to a better life. Explore UK-wide reading statistics and facts.
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