25 February 2015

World Book Week 2015 - Background on reading and literacy

World Book Week
Guildford College LRC – 2-6 March 2015

World Book Week is a chance to celebrate reading.  Reading is one of our most popular hobbies and libraries are the UK’s most significant provider of the reading experience.

Join in our three activities to celebrate World Book Week:

·        Book wall: recommend a book of your choice
·        Micro story: write a 50-word story
·        Location, location, location quiz: relating to books

Get a £1 World Book Day voucher for taking part.   Win a £10 Amazon voucher for the best story or quiz result.


Upward mobility

Literacy and life chances are strongly linked.  Reading develops literacy skills and helps break the cycle of disadvantage.  The habit of reading for pleasure has more impact than parental income and status on a young person’s academic achievement.



Sign of a strong economy

UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) monitors both the number and types of books published per country per year.  It is an important index of standard of living, and of a country’s self-awareness.

The UK is number three in the league tables, reflecting a high interest in education.  It is only overtaken by China and the USA.  It is followed by the Russian Federation, Germany and Spain.


Live Statistics

There are live statistics on titles published this year.  It literally changes as you look at it!


Spoilt for choice
According to Google 130 million books have been published in modern history.  No one can possibly read all of them.

Many of us will fall into our ‘comfort zone’ of finding a few favourite authors and sticking to them. 

To learn effectively, it is to read broadly, picking out authors from different countries and cultures.  Some amazing books have been published by authors who have lived in far-flung corners of the globe.  Examples include The White Tiger by Aravind Adiga (India) and The Famished Road by Ben Okri (Nigeria).

Literary prizes and reviews point us to up-and-coming authors.


Man Booker Prize

The Man Booker Prize for Fiction is a literary prize awarded each year for the best original novel, written in the English language, and published in the UK.  Prize winners have come from all over the world.



It is announced every November and the 2014 winner was The Narrow Road to the Deep North by Richard Flanagan, an Australian author.

Many titles that have won, or been short-listed, have been made into films.  Examples include The English Patient, Schindler’s List and The Life of Pi.


Next Blog

This will give you details of the World Book Week activities we have at the LRC.  Please contribute and take this opportunity to showcase your literacy skills.

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