£81 billion a year in lost earnings and welfare spending due to low levels of literacy.
Everything changes when you read.
We’re a UK charity with a vision to get more people fired up about reading.
Help change lives through reading
The Reading Agency is a UK charity that inspires social and personal change through the proven power of reading. We work with individuals of all ages, communities and trusted partners to share the transformative benefits of reading for happy, healthy and thriving lives.
Our Research
Research and evidence is central to helping us achieve our mission. We speak to people of all ages across the UK to understand how and why they read, the successes and challenges they face and how our work can make a real difference.
1 in 4 children don’t reach the expected level of reading by the age of 11
Featured booklist: Quick Reads 2025
Resources for Librarians
Communications toolkit for libraries - Story Garden
This toolkit is intended to help libraries promote the 2025 Summer Reading Challenge. It contains: - A link to download themed social media assets -…
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Character guide: Story Garden
Download this helpful character guide to find out more about the key Story Garden characters. This guide has been created for library staff. It contains…
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Author and illustrator availability for library events – Story Garden
We will continue to update this document with new info sent by publishers. Authors and illustrators featured in the Summer Reading Challenge ‘Story Garden’ Book…
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It's OK to Say No Lesson Plan
From the bestselling author of _How Are You Feeling Today?_ comes a reassuring picture book, perfect for starting conversations with young children about consent. From…
Latest News
The Society of Authors announces the 2025 shortlists for the ADCI Literary Prize, the Gordon Bowker Volcano Prize and the Queen’s Knickers Award
The Society of Authors today announces the ‘incantatory, spell-binding and resonant’ shortlists for their awards including The ADCI Literary Prize,…
Alexander Armstrong, Joel Mawhinney and Charlottie Crosby will be Championing the Summer Reading Challenge 2025
The Reading Agency, the UK charity that inspires personal and social change through reading, has revealed the Champions who are…
Heart Lamp wins the International Booker Prize 2025
Heart Lamp, written by Banu Mushtaq and translated from Kannada by Deepa Bhasthi, has been announced as the winner of…
Library Facts
Explore key facts about libraries, including the numbers of libraries, the demographics of library users and the outcomes of using libraries.
Reading Facts
We want to create a world where everyone is reading their way to a better life. Explore UK-wide reading statistics and facts.
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