2008: National Year of Reading

Reading for Life

The 2008 National Year for Reading (NYR) has been an overwhelming success.

Throughout the year, one hundred and fifty local authority programmes demonstrated the power of reading to change lives. 2008 NYR has re-invigorated reading, inspiring of two million people to join their local library.

The challenge of the NYR has been to redefine reading for audiences who do not appreciate it as an activity that will allow them to achieve and fulfil their potential, and thereby to maximise the opportunity for reading to be a powerful tool enabling social mobility.

The Literacy Trust have recently announced the Reading for Life (RfL) campaign, launching in spring 2009, to address the continuing challenge. RfL will build on the achievements, networks and approaches championed by the NYR. The National Literacy Trust will lead the campaign with The Reading Agency, and with support from a wide range of partners including organisations involved in the original consortium behind the NYR.

The campaign will consist of a website - www.readingforlife.org.uk - featuring literacy initiatives and resources; Wikireadia, the shared professional resource developed during the NYR and now a key resource for those wishing to support reading in a wide variety of settings; and a local authority development programme to support the creation of cross-authority reading strategies.