In the UK 2026 is the National Year of Reading. The National Literacy Trust estimates that some 5 million adults in my country are functionally illiterate (defined as having a reading age equivalent to that of an 11-year-old child). At the prize giving of one of my sons’ schools the speaker said that he often visited the building of the Trades Union Congress for meetings and came to know a security guard who worked there. This guard was always reading his newspaper at all hours of the day. However, the speaker later discovered that the apparently avid reader was absolutely unable to read – he bought his newspaper to conceal his shame.
I have spent my working life in a world of literate people, and find it difficult to comprehend a world in which an adult cannot read.
The Today programme on BBC Radio 4 has been promoting the National Year of Reading in 2026 by inviting writers to talk about the book that encouraged them to read, and to read an extract from it. A few days ago, Val Mcdermid chose The Wind in the Willows and read an extract in which a young woman proposes a plan to Toad, in jail for diving too fast, to escape dressed as her aunt, the prison washer woman. Thisreminded me of reading of Toad’s stay in prison. He is brought a plate of toast lavishly buttered, so much so that the butter drips through holes in the toast. I remember my mouth watering as I read.
Jan recalls reading The Wind in the Willows and Toad of Toad Hall. Also, girls’ books, which I would have avoided of course: Ballet Shoes, the Heidi books, Little Women, What Katie Did. The public library had a collection of biographies of great figures from history, which she recalls borrowing.
The Central Library in Ipswich also had a section of those biographies. I worked my way steadily through the shelves, I had a thing for history: great favourites were Rosemary Sutcliffe’s books (The Eagle of the Ninth and so on) and Robert Graves.
Which has made me wonder what you remember reading. Send me your lists and I’ll compile them for the blog.
We will be making our own contribution to the National Year of Reading in Sunninghill on 20 April when six authors will visit our primary school to fill the day with talk of books:
Fiona Barker (https://fionabarker.co.uk/)
Tilly Rand-Bell (https://www.tiliarandbell.com/)
Nicholas Allan (https://www.nicholasallan.co.uk/)
Laura Mucha (https://lauramucha.com/)
David Barker (https://davidbarkerauthor.co.uk/)
Ally Sherrick (https://allysherrick.com)
Nicholas Allan is also a member of the Magic Circle and proved his ability to read my mind over lunch.
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