Building a Reading Nation

From increasing empathy and improving sleep to enhancing the bond between families, international research shows the many benefits of reading. Despite this, the numbers of Australians choosing to read at least one book a year is declining.

Following on from VOLUME, last year’s National Reading Symposium, Australia Reads looks at how we can practically apply reading research and data to grow the number of Australians who choose to read for pleasure – and why it’s so important for our society to build the number of regular readers across Australia.

What does research tell us about how we can increase reading rates in our local communities?

Author Bio

Anna Burkey has a passion for storytelling, reading and learning. Hailing from Scotland, where she was on the founding team of Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature, she currently live in Melbourne/Naarm.

After several years in leadership roles with State Library Victoria, establishing StartSpace and leading the Centre for Youth Literature, Anna is working with ALIA, the Australian Publishers Association and partners across the country to grow Australia Reads – a national not-for-profit collaboration aimed at increasing reading rates. Australia Reads is on a mission to get more people reading, more often – because reading has the power to transform our lives.