Stop, Drop & Read for World Book Day!

Islanders are being invited to ‘drop everything’ and read for fifteen minutes on World Book Day!

At midday on Thursday 5 March, people of all ages are encouraged to ‘Stop, Drop
& Read’ – to pause what they’re doing for a few moments and enjoy reading
together.

The initiative is part of Guernsey’s National Year of Reading, a nationwide
campaign inspiring people to read more throughout 2026. In Guernsey the campaign is being delivered jointly by the Guille-Allès Library, the Guernsey Literary Festival, Guernsey Arts, Bright Beginnings, and the States of Guernsey, including Education and the States Early Years Team.

Adam Bayfield, Head of Marketing & Customer Services at the Guille-Allès Library,
said:
“Stop, Drop & Read is set to be a fantastic celebration of reading. We’re
encouraging schools, workplaces, and people across the community to get
involved by taking just fifteen minutes out of their day to read. There are no rules
on what ‘counts’ as reading – it could be a book, graphic novel, audiobook, newspaper, magazine, or anything else. The important thing is to find something
you want to read and take some time to enjoy it. By reading together on World
Book Day, we can show that reading matters – and that it’s something we can all
make time for.”

Islanders are invited to take part in Stop, Drop & Read by:
- Setting aside 15 minutes at 12pm on World Book Day, Thursday 5 March
- Reading something they enjoy
- Helping to spread the word about the event, and sharing photos and
messages on the day using the hashtag #StopDropReadGSY

The National Year of Reading’s tagline – ‘Go All In’ – encourages people to read
about things they already enjoy. The campaign has been developed in response to
national research showing that reading for pleasure is at an all-time low across the
UK.

“The National Year of Reading is all about inspiring people to read for fun. That’s
vitally important, because reading changes lives – it’s a key predictor of a child’s
future happiness and success, and it remains important all through life. Through
events like Stop, Drop & Read, this year we’ll be working to create excitement
around reading for children and families, as well as encouraging adults who’ve
fallen out of the habit of reading to rediscover the joy that it can bring.” - Adam Bayfield

More information about Stop, Drop & Read and the National Year of Reading in
Guernsey can be found at www.library.gg/NYR