Publishers invited to The Reading Agency Insights events to tackle big health challenges through reading
The Reading Agency is hosting a series of free online events for publishers, sharing insights and data from ten years of Reading Well book selection and co-production work. The sessions will demonstrate the power of books and reading to support health and wellbeing, offering new insights to add value to health publishing.
Launching on 30 April, the first of three Reading Agency Insights events will provide publishers with crucial consumer data, learning and expertise to help address the current UK health challenges. The series is part of a wider Reading Well development programme funded by Arts Council England.
Mental health services in England received a record 4.6 million referrals during 2022, up 22% from 2019 according to the BMA. Children and young people’s mental health is in crisis, with over 1.4m children estimated to have a mental health disorder (The King’s Fund). Publishers, reading, and libraries are part of the solution, adding value to health service provision by building public understanding and confidence in health management through quality-assured, authentic and helpful reading; 81% of people surveyed say their Reading Well book helped them to understand more about their health needs.
The first online event will feature contributions from leading experts Professor Martin Marshall CBE, Chair of the Nuffield Trust, and former chair of the Royal College of General Practitioners, as well as NHS GP and media personality, Dr Radha Modgil. Attendees will hear new data about reader needs, evidence on what works best in publishing, and what makes health information books more accessible and inclusive. With over ten years of consumer insight data to draw on, The Reading Agency will also share knowledge about gaps in health publishing linked to unmet reader need, along with reader insights on books with strong themes relating to mental and physical health, including fiction titles and memoirs. Future events in the series will focus on children’s and adult mental health and dementia.
“This events series provides a unique opportunity for publishers to access crucial data and insights direct from readers and experts. Working together, we can ensure books meet the needs of readers facing health challenges and help tackle the current crisis.”
Following the first event in April, two further events will take place in June focusing specifically on children’s and adult mental health.
Karen Napier, CEO, The Reading Agency
All publishers are invited to attend. To register:
- The Reading Agency Insights: Tackling Big Health Challenges Together, 30th April, 12.30pm – 1.30pm Book your space
- The Reading Agency Insights: Supporting Young Minds, 5th June 12.30pm – 1.30pm Book your space
- The Reading Agency Insights: Improving Adult Health, 25th June 12.30pm – 1.30pm Book your space
