Leah Williamson, Michael Morpurgo, Julia Donaldson and Richard Osman are among those who have thrown their weight behind a new nationwide push to get people reading for pleasure, as the government and the National Literacy Trust launch the National Year of Reading.
The year-long campaign, called Go All In, aims to reverse what organisers describe as a “worrying decline” in reading enjoyment among children and young people. Just one in three 8- to 18-year-olds now say they enjoy reading in their spare time. Only 26% of boys read for pleasure, compared to 39% of girls. More than a quarter of children are leaving primary school having not reached the reading age of an 11-year-old.
Unveiled on Tuesday at Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium, the campaign brings together schools, families, libraries, businesses and cultural organisations, alongside a high-profile group of ambassadors including captain of the England women’s football team Williamson, authors Osman and Cressida Cowell, musician and writer George the Poet, and actor Paterson Joseph, among others.
Launching the initiative, the education secretary, Bridget Phillipson, said reading had been central to her own childhood. “Some of my happiest childhood memories are of reading with my grandad, getting lost in The Chronicles of Narnia together,” she said. “I want every child to feel that same joy, whether their passion is football, fantasy, or physics.”
Phillipson described reversing the decline in reading for pleasure as “a national mission”, adding: “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.” She urged families to “read together for just 10 minutes a day”.
The campaign encourages people to read about what they already love, in whatever format suits them, including novels, comics, blogs or audiobooks.
“Pick up a book, listen to an audiobook, get stuck into articles on whatever you love,” said Williamson. “It all counts.”
Osman said he was proud to support the National Year of Reading 2026, adding: “in an increasingly noisy, complicated world, reading is our quiet superpower.”
Jonathan Douglas, chief executive of the National Literacy Trust, said the campaign offered “a once-in-a-generation opportunity to reinvigorate the UK’s relationship with reading and change people’s life stories”. He added: “Whether it’s a baby experiencing the magic of a picture book for the first time … or an adult reading the football pages on their commute, reading is for everyone.”
The initiative builds on existing government measures – including a new mandatory reading test for all pupils in year 8, a £5m investment to support reading in secondary schools, and a £10m investment to make sure every primary school in England has a library by the end of this parliament – and will feature national events, local activities and a drive to recruit 100,000 literacy volunteers across the UK.
