Publishing Association Drop-In

The Publishers Association held a drop in on 10 December 2024. Members of Parliament were asked to raise the importance of reading in our constituencies. The APPG on Publishing held an evidence session to find out why reading for pleasure has dropped.

I have asked the Secretary of State for Education if she will make a National Year of Reading her policy for 2026 in a written question. 

“Concerns are being raised that children and young people’s reading for pleasure has decreased as the National Literacy Trust has said it is the lowest level since the question was first asked in 2005.”   

1 in 7 state primary schools in UK do not have a library.  The National Literacy Trust found that the proportion of children aged 8-11 who said they enjoyed reading in their free time has dropped significantly over the last ten years. This has had a proportional effect of reading skill.

In 1998 the Year of Reading promoted “a culture of reading” and in 2008 the aim was “to build a nation of readers.

A Year of Reading in 2026 will break down barriers to literacy and renew reading for pleasure.