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24 September 2014
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17.05.03

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The Big Read beyond the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½


The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read is about more than finding the nations' best-loved book.


The project is also about celebrating and encouraging reading.


Over the past two months, and throughout the rest of this year, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is working with partners in schools, libraries, reading charities, businesses and at grass roots level around the UK to widen the reach of reading and to get people sharing the pleasure of books.


The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read Database


From 17 May, a comprehensive database of reading events and activities in Britain will allow the public to find out about everything book-related happening in their local area - from reading groups to literature festivals, author signings to literature courses, and including, of course, all The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read UK events which libraries, schools and local authorities are already organising around the country.


The database is accessed via The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read website, , or searched by ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read advisers on the freephone action line 08000 150 950.


The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read Reading Groups


The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ have teamed up with Booktrust, an independent reading charity, to create The Little Guide to Big Reading - a pack containing handy hints and friendly advice on starting (and continuing!) your own book club, whether in the workplace, in the community, with friends or even in the local pub.


With ideas on how to find members and get started, what to talk about in the first meeting, and specific ideas around reading and talking about The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read Top 100 books, The Little Guide to Big Reading can be downloaded from The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read , or a postal version requested on The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read freephone action line.


The Phone line


The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read action line is a freephone telephone line, open 14 hours a day, seven days a week on which ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read advisers will search the database for those who don't have online access, and provide one-to-one advice and information on how to set up a book club.


Launching on 17 May, the service will be available throughout the year.


Schools and Libraries


Libraries and the education networks have already been heavily involved with The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read.


Working with The Reading Agency, more than 4,000 libraries are supporting The Big Read; and with help from The National Literacy Trust, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is taking The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read into schools and further education institutions.


More than 2,500 teachers downloaded ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read resources during the nominations period in April - and as a whole new range of resources for teachers have been created around the Top 100 books, it's hoped every student in the country will come into contact with The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read at school or college.


ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read Events


Over the coming months, The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read will be hosting a series of public events around the country, designed to get people talking - and arguing! - about the Top 100 books.


These include events at the Hay Literature Festival on 1 June, The Edinburgh International Book Festival on 12 August, and at the Cheltenham Festival of Literature in October (date tbc).


In addition, the ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ is collaborating with the British Library on a series of events over the summer - 12 weeks of writers, critics, TV presenters and broadcasters discussing the Top 100 books - all open to the public.


The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read Reading Themes


The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read online message board has had nearly 14,000 messages posted on it and over the coming months hopefully it will be the place where people from all over the country meet (virtually!) to talk about and share their passion for books.


To help them do this and to bring together Big Readers all over the country, wherever they may be, the Top 100 has been broken down into a series of ten themed categories, each of which the website will focus on for a fortnight over the summer.


Every category has a complete range of Top 100 books within it - from kids to contemporary to classic - and these themes form the basis for all our resources, whether for schoolchildren, reading groups, library activity or the individual reader.


With The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read Reading Themes, everyone really can be reading and talking about the same books at the same time.


The Big Read and Big Business


One hundred blue-chip UK companies are being invited to become involved in The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read and help take the project into workplaces.


Suggestions include buying the Top 100 books and setting up a ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read library at work, allowing employees to borrow books over the summer and encouraging them to come back and talk about them with colleagues;


setting up ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read reading groups in the workplace, and offering advice and information about how big business can harness the energy and enthusiasm of just a handful of individuals to make this happen;


and The ÃÛÑ¿´«Ã½ Big Read is working with The Reading Agency to facilitate partnerships between big business and local libraries, using the expertise of library staff to make a success of reading in the workplace.


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