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Publishers and authors work together on children's reading initiative

10 December 2018

In an interesting initiative involving the London-based Hachette Children's Group (HCG), sister company Orion and 22 of their authors, they have worked together to run advertisements in their books encouraging readers to share the love of reading with children. The advertisements will run next year in more than 400,000 of their books.

The authors include Ian Rankin, Joanne Harris, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Fanny Blake, Eric Idle, Ben Kane, Anne de Courcy, Erica James, Cathy Kelly, Matt Reilly, Jack Canfield and Antonia Fraser.

Hilary Murray Hill, HCG ceo, said: "It's encouraging to think we could reach 400,000 readers and we hope this simple, direct message inspires them to read to a child they know, talk to them about how much reading means to them or buy a book for a child.

"With the latest statistics telling us that 10% of children don't have a book of their own in their home, rising to 13% in disadvantaged families, the impoverished reading lives of many children in this country are alarming."
When children miss the opportunity of picking up the reading habit when young, this will affect their education and future prospects but means that they are also much less likely to become adults who read.

Ian Rankin said: "As a child, I loved to escape into stories. They lifted me up and transported me to new and exciting places where I'd get to share endless adventures with the authors. They sparked my imagination and taught me so much."

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