Australian Reading Hour 2018

Australian Reading Hour announces 2018 Ambassadors Judy Nunn and Children's Laureate Morris Gleitzman

"Not only am I privileged enough to share my stories with the world, but I love reading. The worlds, characters and emotions created by a good book is unrivalled; it's the perfect escape from the everyday. I'm thrilled to be involved with the Australian Reading Hour for 2018, and hope to share my love of reading with everyone." - Judy Nunn, Australian Reading Hour Ambassador 2018.

Australian Reading Hour organisers are pleased to announce Australia's bestselling fiction authors Judy Nunn and Children's Laureate Morris Gleitzman as their Ambassadors for 2018. The two top authors will be sharing their passion for reading and encouraging all Australians to get involved on September 20 to make a date with a book!

The premise of Australian Reading Hour is simple. It's about picking up a book and reading for an hour anytime during the day on Thursday 20 September.

Pick up a book, read on your commute, read on your own, read to your children or join in one of the many events for all ages to share in the many benefits of reading.

In adults, reading has been shown to reduce stress by 68% more than listening to music, going for a walk or having a cup of tea. For children, reading for pleasure is the most important indicator of the future success of a child, more important even than their family's socioeconomic status.*

Children's Laureate and 2018 Australian Reading Hour Ambassador Morris Gleitzman points out, 'Most vital human functions are accompanied by pleasure, and reading is no exception. I'm proud and delighted to be an Australian Reading Hour Ambassador for 2018, and to use the opportunity to gently remind the adult community that young people deserve that pleasure every day. They also need it, because no other activity will better equip young people to embrace their futures in a sometimes dark and uncertain world with optimism, resolve and creativity. Our stories have saved us in the past, and in the minds of young readers they can again."

The inaugural cross-industry Australian Reading Hour campaign held last year was supported by the whole book industry. It reached over 6.6 million Australians with hundreds of book events across the country - from a special event at the Sydney Children's Hospital, to book nooks in shopping centres, corporate reading picnics, and flash mob readings on trains... as readers took their books wherever they roamed.

Joint MD of Hachette Australia and Chair of the Australian Reading Hour Committee, Louise Sherwin- Stark, says 'Our day to day lives seem more frantic than ever. Taking an hour to read a book or read with your child is an amazing way to step out of the churn, reconnect with stories and set your imagination free. With the Australian Reading Hour, we hope to remind Australians of the simple pleasures and benefits of reading a book. We will be working with businesses and organisations across the country to spread our message and stage our biggest PR and advertising campaign yet. Our ambition is for the Australian Reading Hour to become everyone's favourite day in the year."

The 2018 campaign will be officially launched at Parliament House in Canberra on Tuesday 18th September, with ambassadors Judy Nunn and Children's Laureate Morris Gleitzman.

The team at Australian Reading Hour want to make this year even bigger and better and encourage you to get involved again or join us on September 20 to make a date with a book!

Join other Australians and make your pledge to read for an hour on Thursday 20 September, by signing up at http://www.readinghour.org.au/

Book industry registrations and resources are now online http://www.readinghour.org.au/

Why Read?

Reading reduces stress by 68%, relieving stress more quickly than listening to music, going for a walk or having a cup of tea
Children who know adults who read for pleasure take it for granted that reading is valuable
The more leisure books people read, the more literate they become and the more prosperous and equitable the society they inhabit
Reading a gripping novel causes positive biological changes in the brain that can last for days
When tested for empathy, readers of narrative fiction achieved significantly higher than other groups
Reading is closely linked to increasing our understanding of our own identities
It was found by the Melbourne Institute of Applied Economic and Social Research that reading to children six to seven days a week puts them almost a year ahead of those who are not being read to.
Increasing literacy and numeracy skills has a positive and significant effect on jobs

The campaign is being promoted on social media with the hashtag #readinghour

Twitter: https://twitter.com/AusReadingHour?lang=en

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AusReadingHour/