Read a book day & International Literacy day – 6th & 8th September

National Read a Book Day is the perfect opportunity to make some time in your life to read. Whether you’re a sci-fi fanatic, a non-fiction buff, or a not-so-often reader; young or old there is a book out there just for you.

Some ideas to celebrate Read a Book Day:

• share a recommendation or a quote – many a book goes unread because it gets lost in the noise – it can be hard to know what is worth our attention in the huge selection of books we have available, and one of the most important resources we have as readers is a good recommendation
• go outside of your typical book selection – it can be rewarding to try something new – does your community have a charity shop or used book store? There’s a lot that might surprise you, and you can sometimes come across old, unusual, rare, or interesting editions that the major suppliers won’t have
• it always pays to visit your local library – a little difference can go a long way in reminding you of the wide cultural world of books
• ask someone for a recommendation – people are always happy to share their favourite titles, and it’s a nice way to reconnect with someone over books. After all, a book’s very purpose is to connect us better to the world in the first place
• read to someone else – we were meant to tell stories, cultures around the world have storytelling traditions that date back centuries; when we get together with friends we share stories about what we have done since the last time we saw each other; we all use stories as our main method of communicating with the world
  • whether you’re telling a personal anecdote or you’re reading a book aloud, sharing a story with someone else is known to reinforce bonds and strengthen relationships overall.
• volunteer at a school, library, or senior centre – Manchester Libraries have a range of volunteering opportunities at libraries across the city; find out more at www.manchester.gov.uk/volunteering_with_manchester_libraries

And when you have finished – donate books to your local charity shop
Though books have lost popularity of late, charity shops do a lot of important work for their communities. Most take donations of books – the British Heart Foundation reported that in the six months from 24th December 2017 to 30th June 2018, their 750 shops sold an incredible 2,391,770 books across the UK – going towards the yearly figure of over 5 million.

So thanks to the generosity of the public, profits raised from all book sales help fund the £100 million of life-saving research BHF fund into conditions including heart disease, stroke, vascular dementia and diabetes every year.

Read Manchester – read, enjoy, succeed
Read Manchester is a campaign from Manchester City Council and the National Literacy Trust to promote reading and boost literacy throughout the city – for all ages!

To find out more visit the website literacytrust.org.uk/communities/manchester

For children and familes – check out some tips to ensure that your child learns to love reading and learning, including:

• Bee a Reader – find out how you can get involved and take on the Bee a Reader Challenge
• getting your child ready for school – reading and talking to your child every day prepares them to learn and succeed when they start school; sharing a story with your child for just 10 minutes a day is enough to make a difference
• story time sessions – details of Read Manchester free weekly story time sessions at libraries across the city aimed at under-fives and their families.

For grown-ups – download some ideas for workplace reading, setting up a book group or community book swap and book swap cards, including:

• create an office bookshelf or box of books, with a range of different books and magazines for people to borrow
• hold a book swap; bring unwanted books from home into work and swap them with your workmates
• take time out over lunch to pick up a book; it could be a book you’ve always meant to read, or if you haven’t read anything for ages you could try one of the Quick Reads
• talk about what you’re reading – get an informal group together and talk about the book you’re reading; you could meet regularly and pick a book to all read at the same time
• get social – share your favourite books and reading selfies from your workplace online with #ReadMCR and #LovetoRead
• promote family reading -share your favourite children’s books and include them in your book swap to take home to read with your family
• bring the library to your workplace – Manchester libraries are full of books that are free to borrow – join your local library and you’ll be sure to find a book for you or your book group
• set up a non-fiction faction – tap into existing interests and share non-fiction books; anything from gardening and recipes books to craft manuals and sporting autobiographies.

Upcoming book-themed dates:

• National Storytelling Week: February
• World Book Day: 2 March
• World Book Night: 23 April
• Book Lovers Day: 9 August
• National Poetry Day: 2 October
• National Non-fiction Day: 3 November