Six Book Challenge

We've launched an annual challenge - the Six Book Challenge in association with Costa Coffee. The Challenge to libraries is to build stronger relationships with adult literacy practitioners. The Challenge to adult literacy learners is to read six books. The Challenge to us is to make sure that every library and adult literacy practitioner has the support they need to make this happen.

Materials for the Six Book Challenge 2009 are available now - visit the Shop to make your order and start planning.

We were delighted at how everyone involved rose to these challenges in 2008. To run through some of the statistics we are most proud of - an estimated 7000 people took part in the Six Book Challenge 2008 through libraries, colleges, community education centre, prisons and workplaces. On average 43 per cent of people who started the Challenge read six books. Eighty-eight per cent of those surveyed said they had gained something from the Challenge and 60 per cent felt that their literacy skills had improved - which, of course, is one of our main aims of this new initiative.

The particularly great news is that 93 per cent of organisations say they will be running the Six Book Challenge again in 2009 and we have high hopes of getting more to sign up - now that the benefits of the scheme are so clear. We also have continuing support from our sponsors Costa and from best-selling author Mike Gayle as patron.

We are running the Six Book Challenge as part of The Vital Link programme that supports adult literacy learning so you will also find information and resources on that website. Links to our Six Book Challenge and The Vital Link websites are in the Resources section on this page.

"I never thought I could read one book, never mind six! I feel so proud. I've never felt so good about myself. I feel like I can do anything now." Noleen Vine, 2008 Challenge completer, Warrington.