Quick Reads - Ten new books announced Friday, October 2, 2009 - 17:54

Quick Reads - the major initiative which brings books by bestselling writers and well-known personalities to people who; have lost the reading habit, find reading tough, or simply want a fast, fun read - celebrates its 5th anniversary on World Book Day, 4 March 2010.

The ten new titles co-incide with major new branding, marketing and promotion plans; including a new website.

Bestselling authors Andy McNab, Val McDermid and Cathy Kelly, together with television personalities Rolf Harris and Alvin Hall are among the authors who provide brand-new books for the 5th anniversary list.

The 5th anniversary titles are:

• Last Night Another Soldier by Andy McNab (Corgi Books)
• The Perfect Holiday by Cathy Kelly (HarperCollins)
• The Perfect Murder by Peter James (Pan)
• Doctor Who: Code of the Krillitanes by Justin Richards (BBC Books)
• Hello Mum by Bernadine Evaristo (Penguin)
• Money Magic: Seven Simple Steps to True Financial Freedom by Alvin Hall (Hodder)
• Traitors of the Tower by Alison Weir (Vintage)
• We Won the Lottery: Real Life Winner Stories by Danny Buckland (Accent Press)
• Life's Too Short: True Stories About Life at Work with foreword by Val McDermid (Bantam Books)
• Buster Fleabags by Rolf Harris (Corgi Books)

Since its inception in March 2006, over one and a quarter million books have reached hundreds of thousands of new readers and helped to change the face of literacy in the UK and Ireland.

Quick Reads has been described as ‘one of the great success stories of the English language', by Prime Minister Gordon Brown.

Gail Rebuck, Chair of Quick Reads, says:

 ‘The publishing industry should be extremely proud of Quick Reads' achievements and impact over the past five years. Quick Reads has not only transformed the lives of thousands of people by improving their confidence, skills and self-esteem but also by helping them discover the joys of reading. It is vital that as an industry we continue to support Quick Reads and encourage our readers of the future.'

For its fifth anniversary and beyond, Quick Reads will continue to reach and support adults with literacy issues and to provide great, short reads for regular readers. However it also aims to transform the reading patterns of those adults who consider reading irrelevant or dull.

David from Leicestershire comments:

‘After many years of avoiding books I found myself being introduced to Quick Reads when I joined my English class. Because of my lack of confidence and ability to read even from primary school days I could never read a book or take in what the contents were about. It is only now at the age of forty that I have started to really enjoy reading.'

Visitors to the Quick Reads website will find a vibrant new look and new titles will be made available as downloads from the New Year.

Quick Reads will launch a major outreach campaign - co-ordinated by NIACE - to practitioners working with emergent readers, engaging over 11,000 organisations in the campaign and ensuring availability in, amongst other places;

• adult education centres,
• colleges,
• workplaces,
• learning centres,
• prisons,
• hospitals,
• stroke recovery units,
• dyslexia centres,
• care homes,
• community centres,
• family learning groups,
• pre-schools,
• projects for people whose first language is not English,
• organisations working with homeless people and traveller and Gypsy communities, and
• RAF bases.