Trade comes together for government backed National Year of Reading

A National Year of Reading will take place in 2026 aimed at curtailing the reading crisis among children and young people. The initiative was launched by education secretary, Bridget Phillipson ahead of a reception to be held at 10 Downing Street.

Organisations including Premier League, Julia Rausing Trust, Arts Council England, the Very Group, and all the major publishers have announced their support.

The education secretary used the launch to call on parents to lead by example and make reading a daily habit to help reverse the decline in reading for pleasure, to help give kids the best start in life as part of the government’s Plan for Change.

The call comes as the Department for Education and National Literacy Trust revealed the National Year of Reading, starting in January 2026 to spark a reading revolution. It will aim to reverse the trend as just one in three aged 8 to 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time in 2025. The development comes 17 years after the last National Year of Reading, that led to the Reading for Life campaign, and whch was widely seen as succesful at the time.

To kick start the reading revolution this summer, the National Literacy Trust will distribute over 72,000 new books to children in areas with the highest rates of child poverty to support positive reading habits at home.

CEO of the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas, said: “At a time when we are witnessing the lowest levels of reading enjoyment and daily reading in a generation, we are delighted to be working with the government to deliver the National Year of Reading 2026 - a bold, society-wide campaign to reimagine how we understand, support and promote reading. Reading is the foundation of a successful life - the key to unlocking potential, strengthening social cohesion, enhancing wellbeing and boosting skills."

Phillipson added: “As someone whose love of reading was sparked in childhood, I know just how powerful books can be in shaping young lives. Reading holds the keys to so much of children’s education, so the decline in reading for pleasure among young people should sound alarm bells loud and clear. This can’t be just a government mission. It needs to be a national one. So, it’s time for all of us to play our part, put our phones down and pick up a book.

"When parents take the time to read with their children early on, they lay the foundations for strong literacy skills, helping kids to be school ready. By making reading a daily habit, even just 10 minutes a day, we can help give kids the best start in life, as part of the Plan for Change."  

A press release from the Department for Education said that the year would build on the action already underway to drive high and rising standards in literacy including investing £27.7m to support the teaching of reading and writing in primary school and targeted support for struggling readers in secondary school, as well as the ongoing Curriculum and Assessment Review. 

Private funding has also been pledged, with a steering committee to be established to help build and execute the initiatives. A programme director will also be appointed. 

Funding has come from the Julia Rausing Trust, Arts Council England, Stuart Roden, Penguin Random House, Hachette UK, HarperCollins, Bloomsbury, Macmillan Publishers International, Oxford University Press, Simon & Schuster, Pearson Shared Services, Cambridge University Press, John Wiley & Sons, Bonnier, SAGE Publishing, Faber, Canongate, Magic Cat Publishing, Sweet Cherry Publishing, Nosy Crow, Ransom Publishing, b small, Pickatale and the Booksellers Association.

Supporting organisations include BookTrust, The Reading Agency, World Book Day, The Queen’s Reading Room, The Publishers Association and the BA.