How many publishers does it take to launch a reading campaign? The answer, of course, is all of them. And all the booksellers, authors, illustrators, literary agents, librarians, influencers and as many others as we can find. Why? Because, to put it simply, reading is the great win. If we all did more of it, we would all benefit, as would society.

As the author and illustrator Cressida Cowell said this week at the launch of The National Year of Reading at 10 Downing Street: “Language is the pathway of thought, and from the earliest age, the more a child reads or is read to, the richer their vocabulary, the more intelligently and creatively they are able to think, communicate and have power over the world around them.”

There have been rumblings about a general reading promotion for books for at least as long as I have been The Bookseller editor, and these calls have been made urgent by the decline in reading for pleasure among young people. The pandemic, which seemed to re-ignite a book habit, was viewed as a moment to double-down that some feared had passed. In the end, it took Baroness Gail Rebuck, former chief executive of Random House and non-executive director of Penguin Random House UK, and Jonathan Douglas, CEO of the National Literacy Trust, to bring all sides together, and the government into line, to support the idea.

It is not the first National Year of Reading (NYR). The last one took place in 2008, also launched at Downing Street with then prime minister Gordon Brown declaring that books were the best way of reducing poverty, deprivation and crime, with a budget of £3.7m allocated to it. A 1998 NYR co-opted the cast of EastEnders for its launch, with the government putting £23m into schools earmarked for books, and a further £1.8m into an advertising campaign.

To put it simply, reading is the great win. If we all did more of it, we would all benefit, as would society

The trade welcomed both, but with reservations. Back in 1998, the additional government money was seen as a sweetener, but some questioned the longer term sustainability when that money went away. In 2008, there was a feeling that the campaign was launched too late – in fact, both were unveiled at the beginning of the nominated year – and needed focus. “Not perfect perhaps,” was The Bookseller’s initial verdict.

Actually, both “years” had measurable impacts we would welcome today. The beginning of the new millennium was a turning point, and was followed by a decade of growth up to the financial crisis in late 2008, as those children given early access to books matured. Meanwhile, children’s book sales – outside of Harry Potter – rose in 2008, as did library issues of children’s books.

So why are we back here again? Some of it is down to who else was in the room for the 2025 launch, namely tech companies and other entertainment brands, all of which compete against reading time, but understand its value. The past government is culpable, too. For almost a decade, up until 2018, funding per school pupil in real terms has fallen. Meanwhile, as the Libraries for Primaries initiative has discovered, one in seven primary schools in the UK do not have a library. The trade, too, could better help itself: we have long needed a joined-up approach with a focus on the joy of reading (and listening) aimed at both adults and children. Here it is about the sizzle, not just the sausages (as many have said).

Still, this is a good start. Everyone who needs to be on board is, and we can all see the challenge in the statistics. The funding is growing, and – given this time around we have six months to scope it out – so should the ambition.