Take 10 to Read with Read Manchester (and the world!)
Take 10 to Read was developed here in Manchester to promote the wellbeing benefits of reading. Designed to support World Mental Health Day, we’ve given away thousands of books, hosted…
Tag Reading
Why not set up or join a book club and Be a Reading Rebel?
This 11 September is Book Club Day UK—a national celebration of book clubs, connection and community from The Reading Agency. This year’s theme is Be a Reading Rebel, celebrating the power of book clubs…
Baby Week 2026
The Read Manchester/Manchester Libraries team was excited to take part in the Baby Week 2026 launch event recently. There was a full programme of activities and events for expectant parents, parents, and babies. The launch was held in the city centre at Manchester…
MAD – Manchester Activity Day Teens led event in Longsight
In March this year a group of amazing young people from St Peter’s High School in Longsight devised and hosted their own event at Longsight Library. The event was the…
Summer Reading Challenge Read to the Beat Launches Across Manchester!
1 July to 12 September The Summer Reading Challenge got off to a fantastic start across Manchester, with the Children and Access Team delivering three exciting launch events for local…
Giving something back – how corporate volunteers support Read Manchester
Volunteers greatly enhance our Read Manchester offer, whether that is our Literacy Champions or the business community. We want to give a big shoutout to several local companies who have kindly devoted their time to…
The Great Science Share 2026
Read Manchester has collaborated with publisher Mama Makes Books and the Great Science Share for Schools to provide 200 books for Manchester pupils involved in the Great Science Share. Pioneered in Manchester, The University of Manchester’s Science & Engineering Education Research and…
My First Library Card
Manchester Libraries has just launched ‘My First Library Card’ – a brand-new library card for babies. Sharing a story with your baby is a chance to relax and spend time together. It’s also a great way for babies…
Read to the Beat 2026 Summer Reading Challenge
Join the rhythm of reading this summer! As the long, sunny days of summer approach, there’s no better time to encourage children to explore new ideas and stories than through the joy of reading. This year,…
Announcing Quiet Storm as this year’s primary to high school Transition Read
Quiet Storm by Kimberly Whittam continues as Read Manchester's chosen Transition Read for the third year, gifting around 7,000 copies to new Year 7 students in September 2026.
World Book Night 2026 with Read Manchester
Thursday 23rd April was World Book Night, the Reading Agency’s annual campaign which aims to celebrate and inspire reading for pleasure. As World Book Day encourages children to read, World Book Night promotes the too often overlooked benefits…
Read Manchester Spring Update
Welcome to our Read Manchester Spring update. We are well into the National Year of Reading now, with lots of exciting events coming up both nationally and locally. Since January, we’ve been out and about for World Book Day and celebrated…
See Myself in Books Festival
Every child deserves to see themselves in the stories they read. This is the driver behind Read Manchester’s See Myself in Books campaign, which aims to introduce children to a…
Nya the Train Dog Visits Central Library
Last Friday we had a really special guest in Manchester Central Library’s children library: children and parents were surprised and delighted to receive a visit from Nya, Transpennine Express (TPE)…
Heartstone Story Circles and See Myself in Books
Every child deserves to see themselves in the stories they read. This is the foundation of Read Manchester’s See Myself in Books campaign which aims to introduce children to a range of diverse…
Manchester Central Library Story Times
Get your little ones involved with The National Year of Reading by coming along to one of our free story times. Manchester Central Library offers a welcoming space for families…
Festive Book Gifting 2025 with Read Manchester
Read Manchester’s Festive Book Gifting project this year was a huge success, with a total of 12,956 Books gifted across 140 different settings! We worked with a wide variety of different organisations, including: Food Banks…
Manchester Libraries: Inspiring young people with reading for pleasure events.
We had a brilliant start to the 2025/26 school year for Manchester High Schools with our author, reading for pleasure and creative writing offer. We started off in September with…
Manchester Libraries Launch Youth-Friendly Standards
This year we have been looking at our Youth Friendly Standards, consulting with young people from all over Manchester to obtain their views and feedback to help launch a new…
Summer Reading Challenge 2025: Celebrating Our Winners!
Summer Reading Challenge: Celebrating Our Winners!