(Above, Martina Cole with Genevieve Clarke. Photo by Tom Parkes)
International bestselling author and our Ambassador Martina Cole has called on all prisons and young offender institutions (YOIs) across the UK to sign up for our nationwide Six Book Challenge to increase literacy skills among prisoners and help reduce reoffending rates.

She was speaking at a special event held at our home in the Free Word Centre for prisons already running the scheme. Martina, rated by prison library staff as the most widely read author in prisons, said: "I meet a lot of prisoners who really struggle with literacy but they're prepared to give my books a go. What I like about the Six Book Challenge is that it's encouraging people to read who wouldn't otherwise do so. I'm really happy to be supporting it." She added: "Next year I will do a Six Book Challenge tour and visit lots of participating prisons."

Aiming to reach more prisoners

Over 100 prisons now run the Six Book Challenge with around 7000 prisoners taking part this year. However this is still under 10% of the UK's prison population of 93,000, half of which have poor literacy skills. We aim to reach at least 10% of offenders and extend use of the Six Book Challenge to all 150 prisons, YOIs and secure units in the UK by 2015.

"Low literacy blights the chance for far too many prisoners to turn their lives around. But we've seen the Six Book Challenge make a difference to their attitude to reading and learning and help them make a new start in preparation for release," said Genevieve Clarke, our adult literacy specialist. "We're determined to extend it to all prisons and deepen its impact where it is already used. Martina Cole's support in promoting the scheme to prisoners and prison staff will definitely help us to achieve this." (Left, Martina Cole. Photo by Tom Parkes)

As ambassador for the 2014 Six Book Challenge Martina Cole will be visiting prisons to talk about the scheme. She has already spoken at an event at HMP Lewes in Sussex on 3 October to mark its success in the Prison Libraries' Group Prison Library of the Year competition, and on 15 October she visited HMP Swaleside in Kent as their 'prize' for winning the 2013 Six Book Challenge draw for participating prisons.

Awards for prisons

Twenty prisons received special awards this year for the number of prisoners they supported for the 2013 Six Book Challenge, including HMP Pentonville in London which has achieved 236 completers.
(Left, Nick Walmsley and Mona Banerjee receiving their certificate from Genevieve Clarke. Photo by Tom Parkes)

"Seven out of ten of our prisoners say they have a learning or literacy problem," said Nick Walmsley, regimes manager at HMP Pentonville. "We are convinced that doing the Six Book Challenge encourages them to come into our library and use the facilities and get back into education. And we all believe that not only does it assist prisoners whilst they are in prison, but that when they leave, it has a positive effect on an ex-prisoner's ability to remain an ex-prisoner, and not re-offend."

"I love the Six Book Challenge," said keynote speaker Gabrielle Lee, governor at HMYOI Deerbolt in County Durham, which won a silver award for 115 young offenders completing the Six Book Challenge. "It takes real courage to attempt something like this when you've not had success at school. Getting prisoners to start the Challenge can also be the time when they realise they may need some help in other areas of their life. If we get their trust through the Challenge it can lead on to looking at ways they can make other changes." (Above, Gabrielle Lee giving keynote speech. Photo by Tom Parkes)

Watch Gabrielle's speech in full:

Our work in prisons is supported with funding from the City of London Corporation's charity City Bridge Trust, the Bromley Trust and the charity Give a Book which has donated dictionaries to Six Book Challenge completers.

Take a look at some more pictures from the event:

Get involved

Read more about Martina Cole becoming our 2014 Six Book Challenge Ambassador.

If you would like to take part in the 2014 Six Book Challenge contact Genevieve.Clarke@readingagency.org.uk and we'll put you in touch with an organisation in your area who is running it.

From November 2013 a new website for Six Book Challenge participants will be available at readingagency.org.uk/sixbookchallenge.

Organisations planning to run the Six Book Challenge in 2014 can order materials from our shop and find guidance and templates on our resources page.