World Book Night
World Book Night is a national celebration of reading that takes place on 23 April every year. It brings people from all backgrounds together for one reason – to inspire others to read more. World book night is for everyone, so whether you read regularly or haven’t picked up a book in a while this is the perfect opportunity to get more involved with reading.
Part of the focus of World Book Night is reaching those who don’t regularly read or have the opportunity to. Each year, books are given to people in hospitals, prisons, libraries, homeless shelters, and other businesses in the community. The giveaway of these books has not only encouraged so many people to read but to bring business to book stores. Altogether, World Book Night is responsible for creating a fantastic network of giving and getting books, making reading much more accessible to all.
This year alongside the physical books donated there are 4 free eBooks available to download:
- Maybe I Don’t Belong Here by David Harewood, narrated by David Harewood
- One Body: A Retrospective by Catherine Simpson, narrated by Catherine Simpson
- The Natural Health Service by Isabel Hardman, narrated by Isabel Hardman
- The Women in the White Kimono by Ana Johns, narrated by Laurence Bouvard
You can download your free copy here.
Unsure of how to get involved, here are some ways to celebrate World Book Night:
- Give away books for free: Donate some of your used books to your local homeless shelter or hospital. Or give them away to a charity shop where people can find cheap books and also give back.
- Share reading with friends and family: perhaps organise your own reading club and get everyone to read the same book. Make it a shared and fun experience for everyone.
- Sit down and actually read: donating and taking part in all the activities is a great way to get involved but make sure you carve out some time to actually read. Below are 2 ways to get that reading in while also joining in on the fun.
Reading Hour – will take place 7-8pm on April 23rd. Everyone from all over the UK, are encouraged to sit down and read for that one hour, whatever the book. Join the online celebrations by sharing on social media using #ReadingHour and #WorldBookNight.
Road To Reading – track your reading progress by pledging to read for at least 30 minutes each week for 10 weeks. According to research, adults who read for just 30 minutes a week are:
- 20% more likely to report greater life satisfaction.
- 18% more likely to have higher self-esteem.
- 52% more likely to feel socially included.
- 37% more likely to get greater pleasure out of their social life.
With that in mind the Road To Reading encourages adults to get in those 30 minutes of weekly reading and start building up that habit. It all kicks off on World Book Night so make sure you’re signed up - https://worldbooknight.org/news/road-to-reading-2023.