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World Book Day

Children reading less

7 October 2013

Nielsen research made public at the recent Bookseller Children's Conference suggests that the number of UK children who rarely read, or do not read at all, has risen in the past year from 20% to 28%. As in the US and elsewhere, children's reading is being affected by alternative activities, particularly games, watching videos online and texting.  Read more

World Book Day and World Book Night get the Wow! factor

20 February 2012

World Book Day and Night are approaching fast. This year it's going to become more of an international set of events, and some it will be available online. It's a fantastic line-up.  Read more

World Book Night becomes more global

8 August 2011

Now it's beginning to look as if World Book Night may shortly become just that, rather than an aspirational name for the adult version of the UK's World Book Day. The United States is to partner the UK, launching World Book Night in 2012.  Read more

World Book Night

28 February 2011

World Book Night is practically upon us, and thousands in the UK will help celebrate it this coming Saturday, 5 March. This year the organisers have broken away from the traditional Quick Reads and book tokens for children - although the traditional programmes are still there - to go for a much larger promotion.  Read more

Quick Reads expand

1 March 2010

Next week's World Book Day on 4 March will celebrate five years of Quick Reads with a crop of new books by writers including Andy McNab, Cathy Kelly, Peter James and Alison Weir. The books are ideal for those who have lost the reading habit or who have never developed it.  Read more

A triumphant World Book Day 2009

9 March 2009

World Book Day 2009 has been a great success. Celebrated in 100 countries around the world, it's especially strong in the UK, so it's worth looking at it to see what can be achieved in having an annual day to promote the book.   Read more

Do reading promotions work?

10 March 2008

World Book Day

Last Thursday, March 6th, was World Book Day in the UK and the Republic of Ireland. 23 April has been designated as UNESCO's World Book Day for the rest of the world.  Read more

World Book Day promotes Quick Reads

26 February 2007

This week we will celebrate the tenth World Book Day on 1 March. In the UK there will be the usual book tokens for children and a new chance to help nominate the Ten Books You Can't Live Without, but the most significant initiative is the ongoing development of the Quick Reads list.  Read more

World Book Day's ground-breaking Quick Reads

27 February 2006

This Thursday 2 March the ninth annual World Book Day will unveil the usual child-oriented campaign, with £1 ($1.75) tokens and six titles promoted for children. But the headlines are going to be grabbed by the wonderful Quick Reads programme, which is a well co-ordinated campaign to get more people reading.  Read more

A new literacy initiative

31 October 2005

The plans for next year's World Book Day, on 2 March 2006, are becoming increasingly ambitious.  Read more

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