I’m an Australian Reads Ambassador!

According to the Australian Publishers Association, reading changes lives! Reading affects personal and social development, happiness, behaviour, relationships, education, employment, financial well-being, health, and community and cultural participation. Improvements in literacy, at any point in life, can have a profound effect on an individual; and yet research reveals that the number of children and adults engaged in reading for pleasure has dropped over the last decade.

So… I’m now an official Australian Reads Ambassador.

Australian Reads is a unique Australian book industry collaboration between authors, booksellers, libraries and publishers, born of a common passion for, and mutual interest in, championing reading. The collaboration promotes the many mental health and lifestyle benefits of reading books, with the aim of encouraging avid book readers to significantly increase book reading by all Australians – no matter the format they read.

Did you know that:

• Low literacy levels can be a barrier to social justice.
• Literacy skills do not just enable educational attainment; they underpin strong family relationships, better health choices, home ownership, and an individual’s capacity (and confidence) to gain employment, having a positive and significant effect on jobs and wages.
• Literacy and reading for pleasure can play a significant role in a person’s happiness, personal development, awareness, educational aspirations and success.
• Increased literacy skills can create a healthier, wealthier, more engaged and more equitable society.
• Literacy is a key part of any crime prevention strategy.

Read more about the research on reading over here.

It all matches my own thoughts on life…

To encourage more reading, Australian Reads have a cool website through which any school, library, bookshop, business, community or organisation can arrange an event at any time of year, as well as for the designated Australian Reading Hour on Tuesday 14 September 2021. Why not get involved? There are over 300 Australian authors and illustrators available to participate in live and virtual events, including me!

The theme for this year is #StoriesThatMatter, which celebrates and explores the role of storytelling in transforming lives and shaping our individual and collective sense of identity, belonging and understanding. Check out what stories matter to me in the video below!

Originally launched by Australian libraries and library associations for the National Year of Reading in 2012, the Australian Reading Hour began as an event for all Australians to set aside one hour on one day to read – whatever they wanted, wherever they were located, and however they chose to read.

So whether or not you organise or attend an official Reading Hour event this year, why not simply treat yourself to an hour of luxurious reading delight on 14 September! You could tell anyone asking that you’re doing your bit for the future of the country!

You could also share news of Australian Reading Hour with family and friends, so they get reading too. It doesn’t matter what they read, as long as they do. Books – in whatever shape, size, or form – are a fantastic way to unwind, learn new things, discover new stories, and feel all kinds of emotions. Whether you’re reading fiction or non-fiction, periodicals or poetry, journals or joke-books, memoir or magical fantasies – your body, heart and brain will all know you’re on to something special. You’re also investing in your future!

#morebooksmoreoften

Sounds perfect! So… what are you going to read? Let me know, and let everyone reading this know, in the comments below to support Reading Hour! If you don’t know your book title yet, you could always say what genre you’re likely to read…