National Year of Reading set for 2026

2026 will officially be known as the National Year of Reading. The idea comes from the Department for Education (DfE) and is part of a wider campaign supported by the National Literacy Trust. The overall goal is to encourage reading among new audiences, and to change the national culture around reading, especially for children and young people. Key findings from the 2025 Annual Literacy Survey finds only 1 in 3 children and young people aged 8-18 like reading in their spare time. To combat this, the National Year of Reading is set to bring together parents, schools, libraries, and businesses in a way that benefits young people across the UK. “Reading holds the keys to so much of children’s education, so the decline in reading for pleasure among young people should sound alarm bells” Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson explained. Efforts are already underway by the National Literacy Trust to spread a love of reading, with a plan to distribute 72,000 books to children this summer in areas of high deprivation. Read more here.