Read Manchester

11/06/2026

10/06/2026

Today our new research shows that children and young people's enjoyment of reading has risen for the first time in five years.

📚More than a third (36.1%) of children and young people aged 8 to 18 said they enjoyed reading in their free time
📚1 in 5 (20.3%) said they read daily in their free time

And our work in communities like Manchester is making a difference. Children in the schools where we work most intensively were 15% more likely to enjoy reading in their free time and 34% more likely to enjoy reading at school, compared to their peers across England.

Despite these gains, children’s levels of daily reading and reading enjoyment across the UK are still low. With your support we can keep this momentum going and help more children in Manchester develop the literacy skills they need to thrive.

Find out more about the research: https://literacytrust.org.uk/news/our-latest-research-shows-modest-rise-in-childrens-reading-engagement-but-levels-remain-low/

09/06/2026

We had a fantastic time with our friends in Salford on Sunday at our Big Lunch: Sharing Stories event! 🤩

We joined the We Invented the Weekend festival to celebrate the power of sharing stories and food to connect communities in the National Year of Reading. We were delighted to be joined by award-winning actor Julie Hesmondhalgh for a special story time session!

The event was a chance to say thank you to our brilliant Literacy Champion volunteers who encourage children, young people and adults to discover a love of reading and connect with their communities. Could you join our team of dedicated volunteers? Find out more: https://literacytrust.org.uk/support-us/volunteer-with-the-national-literacy-trust/

09/06/2026

02/06/2026

This , we’re celebrating our incredible team of literacy champions in Manchester, who make change happen.

We're so proud of our Literacy Champion, Rachel and all the work she does for us!

We’d like to say a huge thank you to Rachel and all our literacy champions, and Happy Volunteers Week!🥳

22/05/2026

Shout out to one of our amazing local Literacy Champions, Caroline, who helped to organise this fantastic event for children in her local park – celebrating outdoor classroom day on 21 May. 🌳 🌼

Three local schools attended, meaning 90 children got to take home a new free book to enjoy. A huge thank you to Caroline and to everyone championing reading and making it fun for children. 🤩

20/05/2026

Do you have a little one aged 0-5?

Join us for Friday story times at Gorton Library📚

Come along to fun, free storytime sessions every Friday (term time only), starting this Friday 22 May, 11am-12pm.

Enjoy relaxed stories, silly voices, plenty of giggles and a friendly atmosphere.

It’s a great way to meet other families and spend time with your little one.

New to story time sessions? Don’t worry! You’ll get a warm welcome, and you and your child can join in however feels right for you.

We hope to see you there!

07/05/2026

Calling any adults looking to join a new book club!

Check out Manchester Library Trail's virtual reading group, run by one of our brilliant Literacy Champions.

30/04/2026

Throwback to last Thursday evening...🌕

One week ago, Read Manchester celebrated World Book Night at Wythenshawe Forum, where we handed out lots of free Quick Reads (short books and great stories by bestselling authors).

We also chatted to people about the and how it’s helping more people rediscover the joy of reading and make reading part of their everyday lives.

Find out more and get involved wherever you are: https://goallin.org.uk/

23/04/2026

It's World Book Night!🌕
We can't wait to celebrate tonight at our wonderful event in Wythenshawe.
Don't forget to bring your book!📚
Will we see you later?

Celebrate World Book Night with us at our Cosy Book Time event!

As part of the National Year of Reading 2026, we’re hosting a reading night. We invite you to bring a book, unwind and de-stress during the quiet reading hour.

We will also be gifting books, plus Manchester Libraries will be joining us for some book chat and information about their services and events.

When? Thursday 23 April between 5pm-6:30pm.

Where? Wythenshawe Forum Creative Space.

This event is open to any adults, so come along and meet fellow readers in a relaxed atmosphere.

We hope to see you there!