It feels like this year’s World Book Night couldn’t have come at a more important time.

Recently I read two figures that really stood out for me:

  • Kindred Squared reported that two-thirds of four-year-olds don’t know how to use a physical book – they swipe the pages as if on a device rather than turning them.
  • Read Easy UK (a charity that teaches adults to read) promotes data that says 2.4 million adults either cannot read at all or can barely read.

These figures shocked and disappointed me.

Why learn to read?

Reading is such an important life skill. It cannot be stated enough how important it is.

Without reading, not only do you miss out on the wonderful world of fiction and its many opportunities for entertainment, it must have a significant impact on how you live your life.

Imagine not being able to read food labels in your supermarket.

Imagine not being able to read instructions on how to cook your meals.

Imagine not being able to read a newspaper or magazine.

As a writer, I read a lot, both for my job and for pleasure. In fact, it is one of the biggest pleasures of my life.

Can you spare an hour?

Tonight’s Reading Hour (7pm to 8pm UK time) is the perfect opportunity to sit down and read, whether that’s fiction or non fiction, ebook, paperback or audio (yes, that counts). Just one hour out of your day and you won’t regret it.

There’s something about reading – particularly on paper – that calms the mind and gives relief against the ‘always on’ culture of the modern world.

It doesn’t have to be anything particularly complicated or long-winded. In fact, World Book Night is promoting ‘Quick Reads’, a series of shorter fiction intended to be easily accessible.

In fact, if you’re a BorrowBox user through your local library, then look out for Delve into Twelve. It’s a project run by Redcar and Cleveland Libraries featuring six stories that are being released one chapter a month and has been picked up by other libraries in the UK. So far, there are three chapters available, each roughly 1,000 words, with the fourth arriving next week.

This is shameless self-promotion as I’m one of the authors, but for me, joining the project was a no brainer. Anything that makes reading easier has to be a good thing, right?

Reading has to begin from a young age.

I remember being read to by my parents every night before bed. Even after I was too old to be read to (not sure what age that was) I continued to read myself a bedtime story and have done for many years.

We need to get children reading. If we don’t then they’ll miss out on a key skill. I don’t really mind what they read – whether it’s a book with words or a book led by pictures – it’s still reading. It’s using their brains and stirring their imagination. If they can read physical books so much the better.

Yes, I know books are getting increasingly expensive (in line with rising printing costs) but there’s still the option to become a member of your local library. I love my library – it gives you the chance to experiment with books outside your usual genre.

So, controversial opinion: there is nothing stopping people from reading – apart from not being taught to read.

Schools can only do so much and, to me, reading must begin at home. Not everyone is a book worm like me, inspired by my parents who always had a book on the go, but please encourage your children to pick up a book. It doesn’t matter what it is, just get them reading.

They won’t regret it and neither will you.