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
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!
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 - August: 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:
July:
- Tuesday 14 July: 2-4pm - Armley Community Hub and Library
- Thursday 16 July: 1-3pm- Seacroft Community Hub and Library
- Monday 20 July: 10am-12pm - Rothwell Community Hub and Library
August:
- Tuesday 4 August: 1.30-3.30pm - Leeds Central Library, Art Library - Drop In
- Tuesday 18 August: 1-3pm - Compton Centre Community Hub and Library
- Monday 24 August: 10am-12pm - Hunslet Community Hub and Library
- Tuesday 25 August: 2-4pm - Armley Community Hub and Library
July to September: Summer Reading Challenge
The Summer Reading Challenge has officially launched following Super Sign Up Saturday on 4 July, and we want to get as many children signed up as possible!
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!
11 September to 15 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.
