LEICESTER’S libraries are backing World Book Night tonight (23 April) – by inviting people to pick up a book, share a story, listen to an audiobook or hold a virtual book group meeting between 7pm and 8pm.
World Book Night is an annual celebration event run by The Reading Agency, a national charity that promotes the power of reading to help tackle life’s big challenges – and with none more challenging than the current coronavirus crisis, the event is going online to help people share their love of books across social media.
To get involved, simply dedicate the time between 7-8pm tomorrow night to reading in any form, sharing your activities on social media if you wish, using the hashtags #WorldBookNight and #ReadingHour.
Ideas include reading to children, listening to an audiobook while you make dinner, reading alone, holding a virtual book club or phoning a friend to chat about books.
Although Leicester’s library buildings remain closed, the Leicester Libraries service is supporting communities throughout the lockdown with free access to ebooks, audiobooks, weekly storytelling for children on YouTube and an easy way to join the library online if you’re not already a member.
Assistant city mayor for neighbourhoods Cllr Kirk Master said: “Our libraries are doing a great job in these challenging times. For many people, reading is a great way to relax and can help to ease the stress of this lockdown – but we also know that one in three adults and one in two young people don’t read regularly for pleasure.
“World Book Night is a way of encouraging people to try reading for fun, just for an hour, before you clap for key workers at 8pm! It’s another way of connecting with people, and I hope lots of people will give it a try.”
People can read any book they want on World Book Night, in any format. The Reading Agency has put together a list of suggestions covering a wide range of interests, at
https://readingagency.org.uk/adults/quick-guides/world-book-night-1/
Leicester Libraries have also compiled a collection of ebooks and audiobooks for World Book Night.
To join Leicester Libraries, visit www.leicester.gov.uk/libraries - and don’t forget to tweet @leicesterlibrar or post on the Leicester Libraries Facebook page with your World Book Night choices, pictures, videos or comments, using the hashtags #WorldBookNight and #ReadingHour.
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