GET LONDON READING !

I am delighted to see that my publisher’s Random House, the biggest selling book publishers in the UK, are supporting The London Evening Standard’s “Get London Reading” Campaign

Almost 10,000 adults have started reading again as a result of the Standard’s literacy campaign.

Two thousand people a day have been downloading two ebooks which we are giving away for free.

The Quick Read books, by crime novelist Ruth Rendell and action author Andy McNab, were written for adults who can’t read very well, or who have got out of the habit of reading.

Gail Rebuck, chief executive of The Random House Group and chairman of Quick Reads, said: “Everyone at Quick Reads is delighted with this terrific response which we hope will encourage some Londoners to keep reading for life.”

The Standard offered readers the chance to download the books to their mobile phones or computers. The chapters are short, with simple sentences and vocabulary that is easier to understand than many other books, but the plots are still aimed at adults.

Sylvia Pethybridge, 70, from Roehampton, learned to read six years ago. She left school at 15 and worked in a factory, eventually enrolling on a night course to learn to read after being encouraged by her five children. The first book she ever read was a Quick Read.

She said: “Looking at a book used to put the fear of God into me. But after I read my first one I became much more confident. Now I read every day.”

As a former Deputy Head and class teacher of children for more than 22 years I am passionate about empowering children with the skills of reading so please join me on supporting this “Get London Reading Campaign” to make a diifference in the lives of children in London.

“One in four children leave London’s primary schools unable to read properly. This is a betrayal of our children because reading is an essential tool for life. That is why we have launched our Get London Reading campaign. We are joining forces with Volunteer Reading Help, a charity that trains ordinary adults to go into London’s most deprived primary schools to provide one-on-one reading support for struggling pupils. They are a huge success. But they need more volunteers, and more donations to fund their support. We ask you to be part of the solution: volunteer today, donate today – and change lives.”

Georgie Grieg Editor of The London Evening Standard