Quick Reads 2013 titles announced Monday, October 8, 2012 - 14:57

Best-selling authors Andy McNab and Minette Walters are behind two of the six new books announced for Quick Reads, including a Doctor Who title. They will be released on 14 February 2013, with Galaxy returning as the main sponsor for a second year.

Quick Reads, which has a huge impact on helping thousands of adults improve their literacy, will be encouraging adults to 'start a new chapter' in 2013. A new website is expected to launch at the end of October, where full details of the six new titles will be available:

• Andy McNab - Today Everything Changes
• Kathy Lette - Love is Blind
• Simon Kernick - Wrong Time, Wrong Place
• Minette Walters - A Dreadful Murder
• Veronica Henry - A Sea Change
• Mike Tucker - Doctor Who, The Silurian Gift

Sue Southwood, NIACE's lead on Quick Reads, said:

"NIACE is delighted to continue its support for Quick Reads and welcomes the news of a lower price of £1 a book for 2013. This will make a real difference for adult and community learning practitioners, many of whom continue to work within very tight budgets. And as usual, the new titles will be accompanied by resources for learning providers filled with ideas on how to best use them with their learners."

Since its launch in 2006, Quick Reads has sold and distributed over 4 million books through supermarkets, bookshops, workplaces and prisons. NIACE has led the outreach work since the start of the initiative and continues to work with employers and workplaces to encourage adults to read more and improve their skills. This year the focus has been to establish reading groups in workplaces and community settings and this will continue in 2013 and beyond. A range of resources to support practitioners were developed - all available online - and over 500 Reading Group Toolkits have been downloaded to date.

Quick Reads books continue to impact on a range of adults, engaging them in reading, often for the first time in many years. Ruth, a Reading Development Manager, said:

"My mum hasn't read a book for many, many years. She says she can't concentrate on books for long enough and hasn't read for 10-15 years. I brought three Quick Reads home from our library for her and gave them to her this morning. She is reading The Cave by Kate Mosse - and has devoured it! This is so wonderful for me to see - as someone whose family are avid readers I know the power of a good book. Thank you so much for bringing these books to my mum - they have given her back her confidence - it's just astounding!"

Practitioners and readers can submit reviews and comments online and can keep up to date with news and promotions by following @Quick_Reads on Twitter and by liking the new Quick Reads Facebook page.

Quick Reads will once again have the considerable support of Galaxy in 2013 - their General Manager (UK), Stuart Woollford, said:

"Galaxy is committed to supporting the work that Quick Reads does to improve adult literacy skills and encourage the uptake of reading. We hope that through our continued partnership and investment, Quick Reads can further build on its past successes and realise its ambitions to reach even more people who can benefit from the incredible work they do."

NIACE is offering limited stocks of past Quick Reads titles for free. Email niaceorders@order-admin.co.uk or call 0870 600 2400 to request a mixed set of 50 titles (£15 p&p) or a mixed set of 100 titles (£20 p&p). The offer applies to UK delivery addresses only and has limited availability until 31 October 2012 while stocks last.