The Booker Prize Foundation is launching a new Quick Read initiative aimed at addressing the adult reading crisis in the UK. A short story collection titled All Around the World will be available for just £1 from this Thursday, as part of efforts to widen access to quality fiction.
Collection Features Prize-Winning Authors
The anthology includes works by Booker Prize winners Anne Enright and David Szalay, as well as International Booker Prize nominee Nadifa Mohamed. The collection was curated by former Booker winner Roddy Doyle, who described it as 'an invitation to read'.
According to data from the forthcoming State of the Nation's Adult Reading report, 55% of UK adults say they read less than they intend to, while 19% of 16- to 24-year-olds struggle to find representation of their own lives and culture in books. The Reading Agency is expected to publish the full report later this summer.
Quick Reads Initiative Marks 20 Years
All Around the World is part of the Quick Reads program, which celebrates its 20th anniversary this year. The initiative seeks to improve adult literacy by making books more accessible. The Booker Prize Foundation will donate 12,000 copies to individuals facing barriers to reading, and the collection will also be distributed through the foundation's prison reading program, Books Unlocked.
Additionally, the book will be available as a free digital and audio download for readers of this week's Big Issue, with 300 physical copies distributed via vendors. George Anderson, a Big Issue vendor in central London, remarked: 'Reading is almost like mindfulness. It takes you into a different place while keeping you in the here and now.'
Barriers to Reading
Research highlights several key obstacles to more frequent and prolonged reading, including lack of concentration, time, and representation. Four in 10 respondents who abandon books before finishing them do so because they lose interest. One in five (22%) cite insufficient time, while 21% mention the cost of books as a deterrent.
Roddy Doyle, in an interview with the Big Issue, explained: 'Quick Reads is like dipping your toe in the water of literature, with some of the barriers that might put people off removed. A lot of people might feel there is nothing about their world in books. The stories in All Around the World have access points, and I hope they alert readers to the fact that, actually, their life might be in here somewhere.'
Impact and Hopes for the Future
Karen Napier, chief executive of the Reading Agency, said: 'For 20 years, Quick Reads has shown that when books are accessible, relevant and easy to fit into busy lives, more people discover the pleasure and power of reading. The findings from our research show that many adults want to read more, but factors such as limited time, competing demands and confidence can get in the way. We hope this collection helps spark a reading habit that lasts a lifetime, opening the door to new stories, new perspectives and new possibilities.'
