The new year sees the official start of the National Year of Reading 2026. This will be the third National Year of Reading, following previous ones in 1998 and 2008, however it is the first in an era of smartphones, streaming and AI. It has been commissioned by the government and designed as a private/public funded collective action campaign, in response to a profound, generational decline in reading enjoyment. The National Literacy Trust’s (NLT) 2025 annual literacy survey found just one in three young people aged 8 to 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time.
The slogan for the National Year of Reading 2026 is ‘Go All In’. Central to the campaign is the proposition, ‘If you’re into it, read into it.’ which positions reading as a powerful plug-in to the things you already love. Leaning into behavioural change theory, it focuses on appeal, not duty, and highlights the immediate rewards of reading, not just the well-known long-term benefits. The ambition is that the National Year of Reading 2026 will make lasting change to the reading habits of the nation to reverse the decline in reading for pleasure and unlock one of the most powerful tools for equity and opportunity: a love of reading that lasts a lifetime.
There will be many opportunities for schools and other educational settings to get involved throughout 2026. As part of the National Year of Reading 2026 the NLT has developed a Schools and Early Years Settings Offer – this will be a flexible, year-long programme packed with professional learning development, and events for children and young people. Schools and settings can sign up to the Spring Term activities now via https://tinyurl.com/mt5df2dm
CEO of the National Literacy Trust, Jonathan Douglas, said: ‘The National Year of Reading 2026 presents an opportunity to join forces across sectors and redefine reading as a powerful, contemporary activity for a generation. Working closely with schools, families, libraries, communities and partners across the country, we will make reading a shared national mission – because every child, no matter their background, deserves the best start in life and every adult deserves to get the best out of life.’
For other ways to get involved with the National Year of Reading 2026 see: https://www.nationalyearofreading.org.uk/join-us