Australian Reading Hour

Australian Reading Hour was a national event dedicated to sharing the joys and benefits of reading, which ran from 2012-2023.

Each year on a designated day, Australians were asked to spend one hour – any hour – engaging with reading. They could read alone or with friends and colleagues, and take part in one of the many public events and meet-ups that were coordinated across the country.

Over 10+ years, the Reading Hour engaged over a million Australians as part of its mission to build a stronger reading culture in Australia.

Connecting book lovers with authors

Australian Reading Hour featured over 300 annual events, connecting Australian authors and illustrators with readers through events hosted by libraries, schools, workplaces and community groups around the country. The digital events program with Sydney Opera House was viewed by over 80,000 students.

Spreading the word

Each year, Australian Reading Hour attracted mainstream Australian press coverage on TV, radio, in newspapers and on social media, profiling great authors, books, and events and spreading the word about the benefits and joys of reading.

Making great reads accessible

Through its special editions project, Australian Reading Hour made tens of thousands of books available to young readers at accessible prices – driving traffic to local bookstores and libraries, and supporting Australian creators.

Working together

Getting more people reading, more often, is a collaborative effort. Through the Australian Reading Hour we’re proud to have worked with over 200 industry and non-industry partners, and over 300 author ambassadors,  to promote the value of reading to Australian society.

After 10+ years of Australian Reading Hour, Australia Reads retired the program in 2023. You can read the full statement here.

On behalf of Australia Reads, we’d like to thank all the authors, readers, partners and sponsors who have enthusiastically supported Australian Reading Hour over the years.

You can stay up to date with our ongoing work promoting reading in Australia by signing up to our e-newsletter, or following us on social media @AustraliaReads.

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Past Aus Reading Hours


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Previous events

https://youtu.be/ewzc-lc8Dw4https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SFwdPeSXtEE

Explore past Australian Reading Hour videos here and on our YouTube channel.

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