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 reading matters
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 we are planning and how you can 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
July to September: Summer Reading Challenge
The Summer Reading Challenge finishes on 12 September so you still have time to complete the Challenge and collect your prizes!
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.
September: From Ashes
Help us build a paper model of Leeds to celebrate Leeds 400! Be part of Compass Festival in November by helping us construct 2000 paper buildings based on the architecture of our city. Sit with us, watch the replica city emerge, try your hand at some papercraft and learn more about the From Ashes project at these sessions:
- Saturday 19 September: 1.00-3.00pm - Pudsey Community Hub and Library
- Thursday 24 September: 1.00-3.00pm - Compton Centre Community Hub and Library
16 September to 11 November: Leodis: 400 Years of Leeds in the Leeds Libraries Collections
Discover 400 years of Leeds' history through the inspiring collections of Leeds Libraries - from 17th century manuscripts to football fanzines, via rare maps, photographs, film footage, memoirs, newspapers, pamphlets, and, of course, books. Explore some of the city's richest treasures and learn more about how Leeds Libraries have preserved historically significant archives for past, present, and future generations.
We have a fantastic programme of local history talks and workshops to accompany the exhibition - find out more here!
28 and 29 October: Light Night
In addition to our Leeds 400 exhibition, we have been working with The Space and Neon8 to create a VR experience based around the collections which will be available to try out on both nights. In the Art Library, you can make zines based with a Leeds 400 theme.
