The Year of Reading

By Jodie

2008 - The Year of Reading

In the UK 2008 has been the official ‘Year of Reading’. It has encouraged people who couldn’t read to go out and learn this important skill and asked parents to pass a love of reading along to their kids. Despite its advanced school system Britain has a serious illiteracy problem. It has attempted to support those who missed out on reading in school back into education

For those of us who were already enthusiastic readers 2008 has just been a normal year. Personally I continued to read vast amounts of books and enjoy reading. Job done the government would probably say, you didn’t fall off the reading wagon in 2008, well done. However I feel that I, an avid reader should have been able to make more of a difference during this year dedicated to my favourite form of entertainment. But as I’m not in education and don’t have kids to read ‘We’re Going on a Bearhunt’ to I struggled to think of a way to help people to read more.

2009 - The Year of Readers

I was always taught that reading is powerful and I’ve experienced it for myself many times. Reading can lift you out of poverty, it can give you open doors that you never knew existed; it has helped me develop my views and my reason over and over again. I wanted to put this massive power that affected me personally to greater use.

The Year of Readers aims to bring people who enjoy books together to have fun bringing literature into the lives of others. From the 1st January 2009 until 31st of December 2009 I will be running an international read-a-thon that will be open to anyone who reads. It doesn’t matter what kind of books you read or how many you read as long as you’ve got your nose in a book in 2009 you can join in.

It’s an easy concept (which is probably why I thought of it). You pick a literary charity that you want to support in 2009. You sign up to be part of The Year of Readers, get people to sponsor you and just start reading whatever you like. Every time you complete a book between 1st January 2009 – 31st December 2009 you will be increasing the funds of your chosen charity and enabling them to pass reading materials along to those who can’t just walk into a Waterstones or teach people who don’t yet know how freeing reading can be.
If you’re going to read next year why not join and help a bookish charity at the same time? Not only will you be harnessing the power of reading for the good of other people but you’ll also pass that power along, giving people around the world the ultimate freedom, to read whatever they want.

Join Now

Journey over to The Year of Readers and sign up via the Mr Linky there. Once you’re signed up leave a comment stating your chosen charity and leaving your e-mail address so you can receive updates and your electronic fundraising pack.