What is the National Year of Reading?
It is a UK-wide campaign designed to inspire more people to make reading a regular part of their lives. Throughout 2026, the Go All In campaign will bring reading to people using their passions – such as sport, music, gaming, film or fashion – to encourage them to read. It’s reading that fits how we live, not the other way around.
Why is it taking place?
The National Literacy Trust’s data shows that young people’s appetite for reading for pleasure is declining. In 2020 it was about 50% but following the pandemic it fell to 42% and then, in 2024, dropped to 34% – from a half to a third in just a few years. As a result, major reading charities, publishers, booksellers and libraries have come together to create the campaign, supported by £1.2m pledged by Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson.