I fell in love with reading long before I understood why it mattered.

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Lucky me – my mum gave me a kind of magic by reading to me when I was tiny. As I got older, books were where I escaped, explored and discovered who I might become.

Reading was never something I was told would be “good for me”. It was just something I wanted to do. That simple joy is what too many children today have lost.

The evidence is stark. Children’s reading for pleasure in the UK is now at its lowest level in twenty years, according to the National Literacy Trust. Fewer children enjoy reading, and the decline is steepest for children growing up in the most disadvantaged communities. This is not just a cultural concern but a national one, because reading for pleasure is closely linked to attainment and social mobility.........

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