The National Year of Reading
For the first of our Friday Bookish Chats, I am joined by authors Lisa Fransson and Maggy Whitehouse to discuss the National Year of Reading Campaign. The 2026 theme, 'Go All In', encourages people to explore reading through their passions, and emphasizes that reading is not limited to books. The goal is to make reading relevant, fun, and accessible to everyone. We discuss the decline in reading enjoyment in both children and adults and why campaigns like this are important. But is enough happening from the top down, or is this just a branding exercise for community initiatives that already exist? Some links from the episode: https://committees.parliament.uk/writtenevidence/162117/html/ https://literacytrust.org.uk/blog/evaluating-a-national-movement-help-shape-the-legacy-of-the-national-year-of-reading/ And the participants: Maggy Whitehouse: https://maggywhitehouse.com/ Lisa Fransson: https://www.lisafransson.com/eng/ Donna Scott: https://theslab.press/