FAQs
Your questions, answered
The National Year of Reading 2026 has been commissioned by the government and designed as a private/public funded collective action campaign. It is part funded by the Department for Education. With funding and support from multi-sector partners including Arts Council England, Julia Rausing Trust, Clore Duffield Foundation, all major and independent book publishers and the Booksellers' Association, Amazon and Spotify, the National Year of Reading 2026 aims to change the nation’s reading culture both during the Year and beyond.
The National Year of Reading is a Department for Education initiative, delivered by the National Literacy Trust in collaboration with core delivery leads The Reading Agency, BookTrust, World Book Day, Bookmark and the Queen’s Reading Room. The National Year of Reading team at the National Literacy Trust is working in close collaboration with schools and settings, publishers, libraries (via the Reading Agency), booksellers, commercial organisations, the voluntary sector, networks such as the Literacy Link and organisations such as Fair Education Alliance, many of whom, in turn, will be delivering their own activities in support of the National Year of Reading.
The UK is experiencing a profound, generational decline in reading enjoyment. Evidence from the National Literacy Trust’s Annual Literacy Survey (2025) reveals that only one in three children and young people aged 8 to 18 reported enjoying reading in their free time, while just one in five read something daily. International comparisons further highlight this challenge: according to the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS, 2021), only 29% of pupils aged 9 to 10 in England said they “very much like reading,” significantly below the international average of 46%.
This pattern of disengagement extends beyond childhood. Recent research from The Reading Agency (2024) underscores a lack of reading among adults, many of whom cite barriers such as time pressures, low confidence, and limited access to relevant reading materials. The impact of this decline is far-reaching, affecting cognitive development, language and critical thinking skills, and contributing to growing social and economic inequalities.
The National Year of Reading 2026 has a simple but ambitious vision: to (re)connect people of all ages with reading as a meaningful, modern, and social activity. Reading is not only a skill for school or work but a practice that brings relevance and joy to everyday life, connecting people with stories and ideas that reflect their cultures, interests, and needs.
The ambition is that the National Year of Reading 2026 will make lasting change to the reading habits of the nation to reverse the decline in reading for pleasure and unlock one of the most powerful tools for equity and opportunity: a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.
The National Year of Reading is grounded in both existing evidence and new research. This is a critical component of the campaign, to ensure it is impactful and meaningful, both during the year and beyond.
The National Year of Reading 2026 will be the third National Year of Reading, previous years being in 1998 and 2008. However, it is the first in an era of smartphones, streaming and AI, with all the challenges and opportunities that brings.
Go All In is the campaign brand for the National Year of Reading 2026 and it reimagines what reading means today. Central to the campaign is the proposition, “If you’re into it, read into it.” which positions reading as a powerful plug-in to the things you already love. Leaning into behavioural change theory, it focuses on appeal, not duty, and highlights the immediate rewards of reading, not just the well-known long-term benefits.
We’re asking the nation to Go All In on their passions and see how reading can unlock more of what you already love – be that music, baking, family time, films, sci-fi, or anything.
The National Year of Reading 2026 will involve activities and events across England, Scotland and Northern Ireland. We are working with colleagues to consider plans for a bilingual campaign for the National Year of Reading in Wales, to support English and Welsh medium readers.
As well as a major advertising campaign, there will be a huge range of events and activities across the country: some will be bigger versions of well-loved events such as World Book Day; there will be national virtual assemblies with inspiring ambassadors for primary schools; every library in the country will have access to support and resources to celebrate the year and other major events are currently being planned.
Sign up to receive regular updates about plans for the year.
The National Literacy Trust has developed an exciting Schools and Early Years Settings Offer for the National Year of Reading 2026.
This will be a flexible, year-long programme packed with professional learning development, and unmissable events for children and young people. Discover our official introductory videos for tailored information about the phase-specific offers here.
A new National Year of Reading website in 2026 will bring together all existing support in one place for schools and settings to access.
To sign up for regular updates about the Schools and Early Years Settings Offer, please fill out your details here.
As free to access community hubs, libraries are central in the National Year of Reading campaign to engage people of all ages with reading. The Reading Agency has been appointed to work with sector partners to deliver and support public library engagement. The Summer Reading Challenge, which encourages children aged 4 to 11 to keep reading during the summer holidays, and World Book Night, the annual celebration of reading for adults on 23 April, will form key moments for libraries in the National Year of Reading.
Throughout the year, The Reading Agency will provide public libraries with resources, toolkits, and print and digital materials to activate the National Year of Reading. Public libraries who would like to find out more can contact The Reading Agency at campaigns@readingagency.org.uk.
Libraries, schools and settings, publishers and all the charities in the sector will be given a range of resources as well as regular briefings and, when appropriate, training on how best to use them. As the campaign gathers momentum, members of the public and other organisations will be able to access the Go All In brand toolkit, enabling them to create their own materials and activities in support of the year.
If you would like to know how your organisation can become a partner of the National Year of Reading, please contact our Partnerships Team via nyr2026@literacytrust.org.uk
There are lots of resources to support parents and families with enjoying reading at home. National Literacy Trust’s Words for Life website and the BookTrust website are good starting points.
Additionally, your local public library is a brilliant resource to support reading outside of school. As well as providing free access to a range of wonderful children’s books, libraries offer a wide range of activities, programmes and resources to encourage children’s development as readers, such as story and rhyme times, as well as support for parents. You can find your local library service here.
For parents and carers with babies and young children, you may find the Best Start in Life website helpful, which provides information and support for parents from pregnancy through to starting school and beyond. CBeebies Parenting is another free online resource offering support to parents, including tips and resources for bedtime stories, reading books aloud with toddlers, and making up stories with children.
There are so many ways you can get involved, whether that’s through organisations already taking part, getting your organisation involved, or by supporting in your local community. Keep up to date with plans as they develop by signing up here.
I'm a public librarian, how can I get involved?
Drop an email to campaigns@readingagency.org.uk to find out more.
I want to volunteer – how can I do that?
Sign up to receive regular updates from National Year of Reading team, which will include information about volunteering as it becomes available. And follow us on Instagram.
I’m a teacher, how does my school get involved?
Sign up to receive regular updates from the National Year of Reading team, which will include plans for schools as they develop. And follow us on Instagram.
My company is interested in supporting the National Year of Reading, who should I get in touch with?
Sign up to receive regular updates from the National Year of Reading team, and follow us on Instagram. If you would like to become an official partner of the National Year of Reading, please drop a line to Theo Coyne, Fundraising Lead: theo.coyne@literacytrust.org.uk.
I’m a journalist and want to get in touch with the team, who should I speak to?
Contact media@literacytrust.org.uk
For any other queries please email NYR2026@literacytrust.org.uk
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