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Reading Agency to cheer up readers

09.01.12 | Charlotte Williams

The Reading Agency is to launch a Mood-boosting Books campaign, teaming up with Vintage and its title Stop What You're Doing and Read This!

The campaign is aimed at reaching adults, particularly those who might have experienced mild to moderate mental-health conditions linked to stress. Eight reading groups around the UK read, reviewed and recommended a selection of mood-boosting books, with 27 titles to be promoted across UK public libraries during January. Stop What You're Doing and Read This!, a collection of essays by writers including Zadie Smith, Tim Parks and Blake Morrison, was one of the chosen titles.

Among the other 26 books to be promoted are classics The Secret Garden by Frances Hodgson Burnett, Cider with Rosie by Laurie Lee and The Pursuit of Love by Nancy Mitford, as well as more recent titles such as To The Moon and Back by Jill Mansell and Prodigal Summer by Barbara Kingsolver.

Director Miranda McKearney said: "Our Mood-boosting Books campaign recommends "cheer you up" books chosen by readers; it harnesses the restorative power of reading to help people feel better, and reduce stress levels."

The launch will kick off with an event at Canada Water library on Monday 23rd January with authors Mark Haddon and Michael Rosen, whose essays both feature in Stop What You're Doing and Read This!. The book will feature as BBC Radio 4 "Book of the Week" between 9th and 13th January, with Vintage also launching a digital marketing campaign this month to encourage debate around the importance of reading.

Last year the Reading Agency reported its January campaign reached 50,000 people across 115 library authorities, as well as in colleges, NHS trusts and prisons.
 

• Charlotte Williams
• The Reading Agency
• Todays Picks
• Vintage