The Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, Ed Balls, joined the Prime Minister, Gordon Brown, children, writers, and reading champions at 10 Downing Street in January, calling for every employer, school, library, college and local authority to get involved.

Starting in January 2008, the first three months will be a national challenge to sign up to the NYR and pledge and plan your support. Visit the website to add your activities and be inspired by some of the programmes and work happening.

The scheme will be publically launched in April 2008, and themes/ activities for the months following are:

• April: Read all about it! Links to newspapers and magazines; library membership campaign.
• May: Mind and Body. Reading and learning at work. The knock-on benefits of reading.
• June: Reading escapes. Holiday and summer reads.
• July: Rhythm and Rhyme. Poems, poetry and lyrics.
• August: Read the Game. The influence of sport and how this can help promote reading.
• September:You are what you read. Cultural, personal and local identity.
• October: Word of Mouth. Storytelling, reading out loud, reading together, reading aloud, live literature.
• November: Screen reads. Exploring the diversity of reading and writing; scripts, TV and films.
• December: Write the future. Writing, texting, blogging etc.

The National Year of Reading will also showcase artistic production – every variety of spoken, sung and written words. Artists will be essential to extending the impact of the Year beyond ‘conventional’ and established audiences for reading.