London, 6 September 2021: Ethical online retailer, AwesomeBooks, has revealed a week-long blog takeover by the National Literacy Trust to coincide with International Literacy Day – Wednesday 8 September – and the return of children to UK schools.
The activity, launching today, forms part of the ‘Awesome Book for Book’ campaign running in partnership with the National Literacy Trust, that aims to support the UK’s literacy recovery post-pandemic by donating a book to every child who needs one.
Jonathan Douglas CBE, Chief Executive at National Literacy Trust, said: ‘In the first lockdown alone, a decade’s work to narrow the attainment gap was undone and this has disproportionately impacted on the literacy of children from low-income homes. Our partnership with AwesomeBooks is so significant because simple access and ownership of books can transform a child’s enjoyment of reading and support the development of vital literacy skills. Collaborations between the private, public and charity sectors have the power to really support the youngest generation at this critical moment. We are delighted to be collaborating with AwesomeBooks as part of their ‘Awesome Book for Book’ campaign and we’d like to thank them for their support and partnership with the National Literacy Trust.’
The National Literacy Trust blog posts – including a piece by Chief Executive Jonathan Douglas CBE – will discuss the significance of International Literacy Day, the importance of raising literacy levels, as well as offering tips to help families and children develop a love of reading. The first post has gone live today and is available to read HERE.
The ‘Awesome Book for Book’ campaign was launched in response to the UK’s shocking literacy rates, further exacerbated by the pandemic: an estimated 230,000 children left primary school in July unable to read at the expected level. For every book sold on www.awesomebooks.com across August and September, a copy will be donated to the National Literacy Trust to distribute to communities severely impacted by low levels of literacy. AwesomeBooks aims to donate at least 50,000 books across the course of the campaign.
Simon Mackay, Head of Books at AwesomeBooks, said: ‘The AwesomeBooks team are driven by our mission to make an impact with every single book, and our partnership with the National Literacy Trust is vital in ensuring that the titles donated through ‘Awesome Book for Book’ reach the children who need support the most. The response so far has been incredible, and we are delighted to be sharing the National Literacy Trust’s blog posts to help raise awareness this week, and to support the literacy recovery of the nation.’
