Reading Ahead is the new name for the Six Book Challenge.

Nikola Moses lives in Stonebridge, London, and is a Brent Adult Community Education Service student at the Stonebridge Centre. She recently successfully completed exams in Level 2 English and Level 1 Maths.

Nikola found out about the Six Book Challenge through her English tutor and Harlesden Library: "I was unaware at the time that this was available for adults returning to learning."

When Nikola started the Six Book Challenge it had been a long time since she had last read, or been involved with anything to do with studying, but she felt that coming back to reading and learning was "very refreshing and uplifting. Not just for me, to open up my mind again, but also for my son - when I was doing the Six Book Challenge we began reading together in the evenings. It broadened our horizons, and we set ourselves the task of learning a new word every night!" (Picture, left, shows Nicola with Adele Finch from Brent Libraries receiving a gold award for number of Challenge completers from Ambassador Adele Parks - photo by Tom Parkes.)

"The Six Book Challenge brought back to me how much reading is knowledge - something we need more of within our communities."

Nikola found that taking part in the challenge gave her the opportunity to explore a sider range of books: "I love fiction stories by the Xpress and Black Inc authors, but now I also enjoy biographies, self help and uplifting books by Dr Maya Angelou, to name one."

"My writing skills have changed through this process, and through the Six Book Challenge, alongside studying at Harlesden Library. My personal life is now richer and wiser, with a new career vision in teaching in sight - I am now volunteering in a local primary school - and a greater understanding of my son's needs."

Nikola has also recently become a local champion with Brent for the Six Book Challenge, presenting a short film to promote it locally:

Advice to others

For anyone thinking of signing up for the Six Book Challenge in order to improve their reading skills, but maybe feeling a bit shy or nervous, Nikola's advice is "go for it and give the Challenge a try. It may feel a bit scary at first but go for it, once you get started your mind does open up, and it will allow new things to happen for you."

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