50,000 books for people on probation mark 20 years of Quick Reads.
The Reading Agency is marking the 20th anniversary of Quick Reads with a gift of 50,000 books, funded by Penguin Random House, for people supported by probation services across England and Wales. The special print run supports the charity’s ambition to gift one million Quick Reads for the programme’s anniversary and forms part of its National Year of Reading activity.
The books will reach people serving sentences in the community and those rebuilding their lives after prison. Some will become part of shared reading collections, while others will be gifted directly to individuals, helping more adults find reading that suits their interests and needs.
Karen Napier (pictured), CEO of The Reading Agency said: “Twenty years after Quick Reads began, its purpose remains as vital as ever: to make the transformative benefits of reading accessible to everyone, including people who may not otherwise see reading as something for them.
“We are enormously grateful to Penguin Random House for funding the reprinting and distribution of these 50,000 books. This generous support will help us reach people in probation and community settings across England and Wales, bringing us closer to our ambition of gifting one million Quick Reads during the National Year of Reading. A single accessible and engaging book can help someone begin—or rediscover—a reading journey. It can offer enjoyment, build confidence and create new possibilities at an important point in their life.”
Meredith Adams, Director of Social Impact, Penguin Random House said: “We’re incredibly proud to continue supporting Quick Reads through this special National Year of Reading gift of 50,000 books. Reading can open new worlds, provide comfort and build confidence, but we know that not everyone has equal opportunities to discover a love of reading. What makes Quick Reads so powerful is the combination of brilliant storytelling from some of the nation’s best-loved authors with accessible formats that help break down barriers to reading. This programme builds on our long-standing commitment to improve access to reading within the prison system and we hope will help more people discover, or rediscover, the joy of reading and the possibilities it can bring.”
The ten books included in the distribution are:
- Screw It, Let’s Do It by Richard Branson
- Today Everything Changes by Andy McNab
- Bloody Valentine by James Patterson
- How to Be a Woman by Caitlin Moran
- Blind Spot by Paula Hawkins
- Dead Man Talking by Roddy Doyle
- Paris for One by Jojo Moyes
- Boys Don’t Cry by Malorie Blackman
- Hello Mum by Bernardine Evaristo
- The Jealousy Man by Jo Nesbø
Written by bestselling authors, Quick Reads use clear, straightforward language while retaining the compelling characters, ideas and storytelling of longer works. The short books offer an accessible route into reading for adults who find it difficult, have lost the reading habit or face barriers to accessing books.
Since its launch in 2006, Quick Reads has helped millions of people experience the benefits of reading.
About Quick Reads
Quick Reads, delivered by The Reading Agency, aims to bring the power and benefits of reading to everyone, including the one in three adults in the UK who do not regularly read for pleasure, and the one in six adults in the UK who find reading difficult. The scheme changes lives and plays a vital role in addressing the adult reading crisis in the UK.
Each year, Quick Reads commissions high profile authors to write bitesize, engaging books that are specifically designed to be easy to read. Since 2006, 5.6 million books have been distributed through the initiative and 6.4 million library loans (PLR) have been registered and through outreach work, hundreds of thousands of new readers each year have been introduced to the joys and benefits of reading.
For the National Year of Reading, The Reading Agency has been working with the prison and probation services to promote its reading and literacy programmes.
About The Reading Agency
The Reading Agency is a UK charity that inspires social and personal change through the proven power of reading. We work with individuals of all ages, communities and trusted partners to share the transformative benefits of reading for happy, healthy and thriving lives. The Reading Agency reaches over 2.5 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.
readingagency.org.uk | @readingagency
About Penguin Random House UK
At Penguin Random House we make books for everyone, because a book can change anyone.
Penguin was founded in 1935 by Allen Lane, who wanted to make good quality books affordable and accessible to everyone.
Today, we are the UK’s leading publisher and home to some of the world’s most brilliant authors: from bestselling writers and bold illustrators, to big thinkers and political commentators, trailblazing entrepreneurs and wellbeing experts. The books, ebooks and audiobooks we publish enable talented people from all walks of life to tell their stories – and we make sure they are heard.
@PenguinUKBooks | penguin.co.uk
About Arts Council England:
Arts Council England is the national development agency for creativity and culture. We have set out our strategic vision in Let’s Create that by 2030 we want England to be a country in which the creativity of each of us is valued and given the chance to flourish and where everyone of us has access to a remarkable range of high-quality cultural experiences. From 2023 to 2026 we will invest over £467 million of public money from Government and an estimated £250 million from The National Lottery each year to help support the sector and to deliver this vision. www.artscouncil.org.uk
For all enquiries, please contact clair@causeuk.com 0753 194 8014: