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National Year of Reading campaign for 2026 kicks off at Emirates Stadium
Education secretary Bridget Phillipson formally launched the National Year of Reading "Go All In" campaign today, 13th January 2026, at the Emirates Stadium, the home of Arsenal Football Club, to reconnect people of all ages with a love of reading.
Frank Cottrell Boyce, Nadia Shireen, Richard Osman, Cressida Cowell and Julia Donaldson are among the authors named as ambassadors for the campaign, alongside Arsenal’s Leah Williamson.
The campaign aims to tackle the decline in reading for pleasure, especially among young people, which has dropped to its lowest level since 2005. The National Year of Reading aims to address this challenge by bringing together families, schools, libraries, businesses and ambassadors to encourage reading across all age groups.
"Some of my happiest childhood memories are of reading with my grandad, getting lost in The Chronicles of Narnia together," Phillipson said. "I want every child to feel that same joy, whether their passion is football, fantasy or physics. Reading unlocks so much of children’s education, which is why reversing the decline in reading for pleasure must become a national mission."
She added: "Through the National Year of Reading and our Plan for Change we are making sure every child and young person has access to a wide range of books, alongside supporting families to make space for shared reading to give children the best start in life. I’m asking families across the country to read together for just 10 minutes a day. It’s a simple step that can lay the foundations for strong literacy skills, helping kids to be school ready and on track to achieve and thrive."
The government will invest £5m for secondary schools to purchase books to support and encourage reading among their pupils. This comes alongside a £10m investment to ensure every primary school in England has a library by the end of this parliament. The devolved governments in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland will work in partnership with the National Literacy Trust as they deliver the campaign.
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The secretary of state for education is today launching the campaign for England. Campaigns in Scotland and Northern Ireland are launching on 19th January and 2nd February respectively, with a bilingual campaign in Wales launching soon.
From national moments to local reading activities, the year will offer events and celebrations, including national storytelling week, creative writing competitions, parent and baby community sessions, and "in conversation" events with authors like Celia Rees. The campaign is spotlighting the vital role volunteers play in supporting literacy projects, by recruiting 100,000 new volunteers to join the national effort.
Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, said: "The National Year of Reading provides us with a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvigorate the UK’s relationship with reading and change people’s life stories. With incredible ambassadors, events and partnerships at the fore, the National Year of Reading aims to inspire every child, young person and adult to go all in on their passions, feed their curiosities and connect with others through reading, throughout 2026 and beyond."
The campaign builds on the action already underway by government to drive high and rising standards in literacy through its Plan for Change to support a decade of national renewal. This includes a new mandatory reading test for all pupils in year eight, to identify and support children who struggle with reading early.
The launch today follows the government confirming plans to develop the first-ever early years screen-time guidance to help parents make informed and confident choices about how screens fit into family life.
