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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Receive the latest news, research, and events and join our mission to make Australia a reading nation.
Australia Reads is made possible thanks to the amazing support of our major stakeholders and partners.
We acknowledge Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the traditional custodians of the lands where we live and work. We pay our respect to Elders, past, present and emerging, and honour the sharing of traditional stories passed down through generations.
© 2024 AUSTRALIA READS
