Read Hour UK
In the UK, Read Hour will be celebrated for the first time in September 2021. Many bookshops, charities and celebrities will take part in the celebrations. See all Read Hour UK events below.
In the UK, organisations who have pledged to support Read Hour so far include Waterstones, Macmillan Children’s Books, Sort Of Books, Oxfam, World Book Day, BookTrust, Love Reading and many more.
There will be special Read Hour events taking place at Waterstones stores in London and Glasgow on 8th September at 4pm. The Glasgow event at the Sauchiehall Street store will see Moomin storyteller Liz Fost entertain and delight audiences with interactive storytelling and crafts. In London’s Kingston store attendees will have the opportunity to meet and have a photo with Moomintroll and hear tales of Moominvalley from children’s author Philip Ardagh, the author of The World of Moominvalley.
Read more about the Glasgow event
Read more about the London event
Jennifer Saunders, Cressida Cowell, Laura Dockrill and Philip Ardagh are among the celebrities and authors who will be supporting Read Hour on social media.
Schools and libraries have been given access to a resource pack, with posters, activity sheets and social media assets, so that they can join in the celebrations.
You can follow the celebrations on social media with hashtags #ReadHour and #ReadHourUK.
How can you participate in the Read Hour UK?
Find your way of reading, whether that be a book, an audiobook, a comic book, or a magazine and stop to read for an hour on UN’s International Literacy Day on the 8th of September at 2 pm–3pm. Anyone unable to take part then is encouraged to hold their own Read Hour at any time that suits them on 8th September.
Anyone taking part is encouraged to share a photo of themselves or what they are reading on social media using the hashtag #ReadHour and #ReadHourUK.
