The Reading Agency is inviting the people of Bradford to join a mass ‘read-in’ on the run up to World Book Night on Wednesday April 23, with one thousand Quick Read books handed out to the public for free.
Taking place at 11.30am and during the lunch hour at one of the UK’s most beautiful book stores, The Wool Exchange Waterstones in Bradford, the public are invited to pick up their free book, put down their mobile phones, stop, and take a minute to enjoy their free Quick Read.
The public will be joined by one of 2025 Quick Reads authors – Abir Mukherjee – who will be enjoying the time given on World Book Night, an annual celebration of books and reading, to read as well as sign attendees Quick Reads.
Evidence shows that regular reading has far-reaching social impacts; improving health, wellbeing, life chances and social connections. Quick Reads are short, accessible books written by bestselling authors, designed to not only support under confident readers but also those who don’t feel that they have the time or the drive to pick up a book.
The ‘read ins’ ambition is to inspire the nation to pick up a page turner and enjoy the transformative impact reading can have.
Adults who read for just 30 minutes a week are 20% more likely to report greater life satisfaction. However, only half (50%) of adults now read regularly, down from 58% in 2015, and 1 in 10 find reading difficult.
Karen Napier, CEO, The Reading Agency, said: “We’re inviting anyone who is able to come along to Bradford Waterstones. Whether you’re a first-time reader or rediscovering a love of books, we hope this will be a spark for change.”
Studies have shown that reading for pleasure enhances empathy and understanding. Those who read for pleasure also have higher levels of self-esteem, better sleeping patterns and more resilience. Non-readers are 28% more likely to report feelings of depression.
Karen added: “Our Quick Reads initiative is now in its 19th year, and they are a fantastic way to entice reluctant and less confident readers to experience the benefits reading can bring, and hopefully hook them into a reading habit, thanks to the brilliant stories on offer from some of the UK’s leading bestselling authors at work today.”
To date, Quick Reads has collaborated with over 30 publishers and produced over 140 titles since 2006, with over 5 million copies distributed, and over 6 million library loans.
Karen said: “In the fast paced, digital world we live in, we often have to sift through lots of noise and distractions which can negatively impact on our mental health and wellbeing. Reading can provide a mindful, focussed, and meaningful outlet. Considering the wide impacts reading can have, the hope is our Quick Reads campaign will prompt the nation to ask: What can reading do for me?”
Each year for World Book Night, thousands of Quick Reads are handed out for free through libraries to community organisations across the UK, including food banks, homeless shelters, prisons, and workplaces. They will also be available in April for just £1 at retailers, such as supermarkets.
The mass read-in is being supported by Bradford 2025 UK City of Culture.
The free Quick Read books will be handed out on a first-come, first-served basis.
Shanaz Gulzar Creative Director of Bradford 2025 said: “It’s an honour to host this important campaign in our UK City of Culture year. Reading should be accessible to everyone, whether English is a second language, literacy is a challenge, or life has simply made it difficult to maintain the habit. The written word is the foundation of so much of our culture, and ensuring more people can engage with it will have a far-reaching impact.”
Abigail Guessis, Manager at Bradford Waterstones said: “We’re thrilled to host the reading stunt on the eve of World Book Night and show off the incredible beauty of our Bradford bookshop, which is an experience in itself. Hopefully, it will help lure reluctant or reticent readers to come and explore the many worlds that books offer.”
About the Books
Leila Aboulela is an award-winning novelist whose novels have been translated into 15 languages. She was the first winner of the Caine Prize for African Writing. Leila grew up in Sudan and now lives in Scotland.
Leila’s Quick Read, A New Year, follows the story of widow Suad, who moves in with her son’s family in the Scottish countryside, until relations break down with her daughter-in-law as they clash over their different approach to tradition, values, and duty, leaving Suad alone to learn to live as an independent woman.
Cathy Bramley is a British author of sixteen romance novels and has sold almost two million copies worldwide. Her books have hit the UK bestsellers’ list and have been nominated for several awards including the British Book of the Year 2023.
Her Quick Read, The Surprise Visitor, follows Claire and Lisa who haven’t seen each other in 25 years, but make their long-distance friendship work with weekly calls. However, both are hiding secrets and maintaining lies. So, when Lisa pays Claire an unexpected visit, their friendship is put to the ultimate test.
Fiona Cummins is an award-winning former journalist. Rattle, her debut novel, was the subject of a huge international auction and has been translated into several languages. She has since written several bestsellers.
Her Quick Read, A Boy Called Saul, follows the clever but troubled teenager with a dark past, Saul Anguish. A grim discovery on an island near his home town in Essex leads Saul, and a former police detective, to look back to the past when the pair met two years earlier when a five-year-old was kidnapped by a serial killer, whose evil deeds left scars on them all.
Dr Alex George is a TV doctor, author, and Youth Mental Health Ambassador to the government. Alex has become a leading voice in mental and physical health and wellbeing and uses his platform to make health and medicine more accessible to millennials and beyond.
His Quick Read is an abridged version of his bestselling book, The Mind Manual: Mental Fitness Tools for Everyone. It helps readers assess their mental health, complete with a mental health toolkit to help readers thrive.
Abir Mukherjee is the Times bestselling author of the Wyndham & Banerjee series of crime novels set in Raj-era India which have sold over 400,000 copies worldwide and been translated into 15 languages. His books have won numerous awards including the CWA Dagger for best Historical Novel.
Abir’s Quick Read is an abridged version of the first book in the Wyndham detective series, A Rising Man. The historical crime novel set in India in 1919 received rave reviews, with Ian Rankin dubbing it ‘A thought provoking rollercoaster’.
Sunday Times bestselling author Cathy Rentzenbrink is a former Project Manager of Quick Reads and is the author of the Sunday Times bestseller Dear Reader: The Comfort and Joy of Books. Cathy has taught for Arvon, Curtis Brown Creative, at Falmouth University and at festivals and in prisons.
Her Quick Read is an abridgement of Write It All Down, a guide to putting your life on the page. It offers a compendium of advice to help writers discover the pleasure and solace found in writing. The helpful handbook steers the reader through the philosophical and practical challenges of writing, intertwined with reflections and exercises.
ENDS
For author interviews, or further media requests around Quick Reads, contact ann@causeuk.com m: 0753 489 2715.
Notes to Editors
*Findings from The Reading Agency 2024 report: The State of the Nation’s Adult Reading Adult Reading Research Report | The Reading Agency
**Stats from The Reading Agency Reading Facts.pdf
For author bios, author photos, and synopses of 2025’s Quick Reads go to:
About The Reading Agency
The Reading Agency is a UK charity with a mission to empower people of all ages to read.
Evidence shows that reading improves health and wellbeing, life chances and social connections. The Reading Agency champions access to the proven power of reading by providing activities for all ages.
Working with public libraries, prisons, hospitals, and other community settings, we reach over two million people a year. But with a UK population of over 67 million that’s not nearly enough.
We want to get more people fired up about reading because everything changes when you read. Get in touch today to find out more about what we do and to help us on our mission.
www.readingagency.org.uk | @readingagency
About Quick Reads: A Tool for Social Change
Quick Reads are short, accessible, diverse, and affordable books written by bestselling authors, specifically designed for adults who are less confident readers or have lost the reading habit. These books serve as a powerful tool for social impact and behaviour change by:
1. Providing an accessible entry point to reading for adults with low literacy skills.
2. Offering a way back into reading for lapsed readers.
3. Boosting reading confidence and enjoyment, particularly among young adults who face the most
barriers.
4. Promoting diverse representation in literature to engage a wider audience.
5. Addressing time constraints by offering short, engaging reads
The Need for Change
Recent findings from the Reading Agency’s ‘State of the Nation in Adult Reading: 2024’ report highlight stark trends:
• Only half of UK adults (50%) now read regularly, down from 58% in 2015.
• 35% of UK adults are ’lapsed readers’ who have dropped the reading habit.
• 15% of the population are non-readers, an 88% increase since 2015.
• 11% of people find reading difficult, rising to 22% among young people (16-24 years).
• 30% of people struggle to finish what they’re reading, and 28% find it hard to focus on reading for more than a few minutes.
These statistics underscore the urgent need for intervention to improve adult literacy and reading engagement across the UK.