The event, held in partnership with the National Literacy Trust and hosted by the New Statesman, opened with journalist Becky Slack speaking about her personal love of books.
Minister for School Standards Georgia Gould recalled her own childhood experiences of shared reading and noted that 75 % of schools, libraries, early‑years settings and prisons reported increased delivery of reading‑for‑pleasure activities as a result of the campaign, describing its energy as “unstoppable.”
Rebecca Sinclair, President of the Publishers Association and Chief Brand Officer of Penguin Random House UK, urged the government to launch a National Decade of Reading, saying the moment offers an opportunity to turn this year’s momentum into lasting change. Former Waterstones Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell‑Boyce highlighted the value of parent‑child shared reading, recounted a visit to Spellow Hub community library where a child recited “Jabberwocky,” and called for place‑based solutions, more Health Visitors and cross‑sector collaboration to reverse declining enjoyment rates.
Publishers Association chief executive Dan Conway also attended the conference’s business day, speaking with AI Minister Kanishka Narayan about copyright issues and thanking Education Secretary Lucy Powell for her support of the National Year of Reading.