National Year of Reading 2026 is a major government campaign to rekindle the UK’s love of reading. Led by the National Literacy Trust and The Reading Agency, and sponsored by the Department for Education, it aims to make reading a joyful, meaningful part of everyday life for everyone - young and old - and to reverse the decline in reading for pleasure.
Go All In!
We want to spark a reading revolution. This bold campaign aims to rebrand reading in all its forms as socially meaningful and personally valuable - something for everyone. Reading is a great way to go deeper into your existing passions - whether it’s fashion, football, films, food. In today’s fast-paced, digital world, we’re making reading relevant, joyful, and part of everyday life.
Why does reading matter?
Reading for pleasure is powerful. It boosts wellbeing, sparks imagination, builds empathy, and expands your world. It nurtures curiosity, sharpens your mind, and it might even make you more creative or successful. Sometimes, the value is simply in the pleasure itself - escapism, laughter, or inspiration. But increasingly, fewer of us are making time to read. With so many forms of entertainment at our fingertips, reaching for a book can feel like a chore - something we should do, but don’t really want to do.
What are we planning and how can you get involved?
We'll be launching some special new initiatives, hosting events and really focusing on books and reading. To kick things off, we want to know your favourite reads - share a review with us here!
We'd love you to join the library if you haven't already, and encourage friendly and family to join. It's free, and you can join in person at one of our 37 libraries and community hubs across Leeds, or join online. Tag us in book posts on Facebook or Instagram @leedslibraries and share some library love!
Other highlights for Year of Reading include:
19 February to 29 August: Story Explorers at Leeds Central Library
Take a fantastical trip to the far reaches of outer space, the depths of the jungle and the bottom of the ocean floor in a free family experience that we’ve created with the British Library.
The exhibition has now been extended to Saturday 29 August, which means even more families can adventure into space, through the jungle and to the bottom of the ocean!
6-14 June: Leeds Lit Fest
We have some fantastic events coming up for this year's edition:
- 6th June: The Art Of the Short Story with Alice Jolly, Naomi Booth and Nicholas Royle. A special panel event in which these three multi-award-winners discuss what makes a great short story. Essential for all readers, writers and lovers of the short form. Book your ticket here.
- 13th June: Bluemoose Books 20th Birthday Bash. We're helping publishing legends Bluemoose celebrate their 20th birthday in style. This two part-event will feature an in-depth interview with chief Moose Kevin Duffy, plus readings and short interviews from three Bluemoose writers - Simon Crump, Sharon Duggal and Rob Potts followed by audience Q and A. Tickets for both these events are likely to be in high demand so early booking is essential if you don't want to miss out! Book your ticket here.
- Leeds Line by Line on Saturday 6th and Wednesday 10th June, 10.00-11.30pm, Headingley Library and Community Hub. Join us to create a community poem specially for Leeds Lit Fest. Using your words, a new poem about Leeds will be curated by poet Liz McPherson and the Heartlines team. It will be displayed in the library and featured on the Heartlines website.
June - launch of Leeds 400: 400 years since Leeds got its first Royal City Charter.
The year-long celebration invites residents and visitors to share in the city's rich heritage and vibrant future. Themes include culture, sport, learning, communities, heritage, innovation and the future; all showcasing the diversity of the city and its people.
We have a fantastic series of events coming up. One of our highlights is an exhibition, Leodis: 400 Years of Leeds in the Leeds Libraries Collections, which will be free to visit at Leeds Central Library from 16 September to 11 November, during opening hours.
Community Call-out!
We’re inviting people and communities to donate or loan items from their own lives and archives - photographs, documents, diaries, or keepsakes, anything that captures life in Leeds. From everyday memories to moments of change, these personal pieces help show how the city has been shaped by the people who live here. Together, they’ll form part of the exhibition.
Do you have something to share? Email localandfamilyhistory@leeds.gov.uk
July-September: Summer Reading Challenge
4 July is Super Sign Up Saturday - the official launch of the Summer Reading Challenge and we want to get as many children signed up as possible!
Coming soon to libraries across Leeds, this year's challenge has a music inspired theme: Read to the Beat! We're encouraging children to keep reading over the holidays and to discover stories full of rhythm, music and creativity, all FREE through the library. There'll be some amazing events happening too - watch this space for more details!
