News

« Headlines

Strong support for Year of Reading

15.10.07 Katherine Rushton

Eight of the UK's largest publishers have pledged to back the 2008 National Year of Reading by linking with libraries. The initiative—led by The Reading Agency through its Reading Partners offshoot—will see every one of the 149 library authorities in England paired with an author, including "some of the UK's biggest and bestselling writers", to be unveiled by the end of the year.

Each author will hold at least one event in one library in the authority, and publishers will work with libraries to develop new kinds of author event "to reach disengaged audiences who are not interested in the traditional ‘reading from the page' event".

"[These publishers are] committed to reaching every corner of England," said Miranda McKearney, director of The Reading Agency. "We're excited by this consolidation of a shift in publishers' working practices—it means that readers will be connecting in new ways with writers, all over England, and we're thrilled that publishers are also determined to reach emerging readers too."

The participating publishers--Bloomsbury, Faber, Hachette Livre, HarperCollins, Harlequin Mills & Boon, Pan Macmillan, Penguin, and the Random House Group--are currently planning events for between April-December 2008. Rachel Alexander, Faber publicity director, added: "Our library/publisher consortium has spent the last four years experimenting with new ways of working together to reach adult readers. We want to expand the market by helping libraries become vibrant community hubs for reading. We can weave this work into the National Year of Reading which presents us with a whole new set of challenges and opportunities to build on, now and in the future".

HarperCollins Katherine Rushton Miranda McKearney Hachette Penguin Bloomsbury Random House Faber Pan Macmillan Mills & Boon

See Also