When I started working in the world of reading and books in 1999, I remember that one of my first decisions was to travel to London and meet with those who had led the National Year of Reading in 1998, from ministries to the National Literacy Trust and other organizations. That same year, we invited the program commissioner, Liz Attenborough, and I remember taking note of some of her impressions: the crucial breakthrough being awareness of the low level of literacy. Of course, that strategy was very different from the one we implemented in 2001 to 2004 from the Spanish Ministry of Culture, but it did provide a sample of the wide range of projects, large and small, that took place during the Year, and it was very helpful to have their evaluation of some of the initiative’s programs shared with me.
In this new initiative for England there is a behavioural proposition, because its slogan “If you’re into it, read into it” summarises a strategic reframing: Instead of presenting reading as inherently virtuous, the campaign links it to existing passions: sport, music, gaming, fashion, food, local history…Which is a marketing approach that I always defended: Promote reading as something that is linked to the things you like to do or that interest you, relating it to your passions, needs or favourite leisure activities. In doing so, once again, like in 1998 the National Year of Reading tries to remove cultural gatekeeping and reduce the friction that often deters reluctant readers. The underlying theory is that engagement follows relevance; if reading connects with identity and interest, frequency may follow.
Yet 2026 differs from previous national campaigns in one decisive respect: it unfolds in a fully digital attention economy. This is the third National Year of Reading in the UK, following those of 1998 and 2008, but the first to operate in the era of smartphones, streaming platforms and, most of all, generative artificial intelligence. Competition for time is severe; leisure habits have fragmented; and families frequently mention lack of time, access and confidence as barriers. Rather than ignoring this context, the campaign acknowledges it directly.
The urgency of the initiative is grounded in recent evidence. Survey data cited by the campaign indicate that only around one in three young people aged 8 to 18 report enjoying reading in their leisure time, and roughly one in five read daily for pleasure. International assessments such as PIRLS 2021 show comparatively low proportions of pupils in England saying that they “very much” enjoy reading. At the same time, too many children leave primary school without reaching expected standards in reading, with attainment gaps particularly marked among disadvantaged groups. In policy terms, reading for pleasure is positioned not as enrichment alone but as infrastructure: foundational to academic achievement, social mobility and long-term opportunity.
Commissioned by the Department for Education and delivered by the National Literacy Trust as the backbone organisation, the initiative is built on a broad coalition. Supported by IPA member the Publishers Association, key partners include The Reading Agency (public libraries), BookTrust (early years) and a range of literacy charities, alongside sector alliances such as World Book Day. Public funding establishes the framework, complemented by support from Arts Council England and philanthropic and corporate contributors. I share the visible assumption that durable change in reading habits requires coordinated, system-wide action rather than isolated interventions.
Operationally, the year combines high-visibility national moments with granular local activation. Media partnerships and prominent ambassadors, including engagement through the Premier League – something that was already happening in 1998 and that captivated me so much that I organised it for the top-rated program with a famous Real Madrid player, of course– are designed to extend reach beyond the traditional literary sphere and to embed reading within mainstream culture. In parallel, thousands of activities in schools, libraries and community settings are intended to create depth and continuity.
Schools and early years settings are offered structured support through free toolkits, brand assets and professional development opportunities. A central digital platform organises resources by stage, enables peer exchange and provides formal recognition through a National Year of Reading Participation Award. The design resembles an adoption framework more than a loose campaign: it offers guidance on auditing reading culture, engaging families and embedding sustained practice rather than one-off events. Complementary guidance from professional bodies such as the School Library Association encourages the creation of reading councils that include pupils, teachers and links to local public libraries, seeking to institutionalise pupil voice in shaping reading environments. Public libraries, through The Reading Agency, play a parallel role. Established programmes such as the Summer Reading Challenge and World Book Night are integrated into the year’s narrative, reinforcing libraries as civic anchors for reading culture. Community organisations are encouraged to create micro-interventions: pop-up reading spaces, intergenerational groups, volunteer-supported one-to-one reading and thematic displays tied to local interests. The ambition is to normalise reading in everyday settings rather than confining it to school or specialist cultural venues.
In historical perspective, the 1998 and 2008 National Years of Reading similarly combined government endorsement with cross-sector collaboration and media engagement. As I remember the 2008 campaign, in particular, sought to mobilise education, libraries and corporate partners around a vision of a “nation of readers”. The 2026 iteration maintains that collaborative DNA but reflects a more explicit application of behavioural insight, a stronger brand architecture and a more systematised implementation model supported by digital infrastructure. Where earlier campaigns operated primarily within a print-and-broadcast paradigm, the current initiative is designed for a fragmented, platform-driven landscape.
Whether the National Year of Reading 2026 will achieve durable change cannot be measured in headlines alone. Its success will depend less on the visibility of national moments than on the cumulative effect of small, sustained shifts in homes, classrooms and communities. If the strategy of making reading attractive rather than obligatory proves effective, the year may offer a template for future cultural campaigns operating under conditions of digital saturation for all of us working in reading promotion.