Penguin Random House marks World Book Day by volunteering in Hackney’s most ‘literacy-vulnerable’ area
Character building: kids at St John the Baptist School dressed for the literary occasion. Photographs: Penguin Random House
The Hackney South and Shoreditch constituency is rated as one of the most ‘literacy-vulnerable’ areas in the capital. Indeed, just last month the Literacy Trust placed it in the top three for literacy need in England as a whole, behind Middlesbrough and Barking.
Today, to mark World Book Day, Penguin Random House staffers are pitching up at schools across Hackney (and elsewhere) to meet these problems head on – armed with free books, stories to tell, and a hopefully infectious enthusiasm for reading.
From Marketing Assistants to Managing Directors, over 500 staff get to escape their offices this morning, and highlight the joys of reading using interactive sessions, quizzes, and a selection of Penguin Random House texts (the leading publisher is home to household names like Philip Pullman, Roald Dahl, Jacqueline Wilson and Peter Rabbit) which will then be donated to schools’ libraries and reading zones.
Teachers at participating local schools lined up to praise the effort. Sarah Lowden, Assistant Headteacher at St John the Baptist Primary School, Hoxton, enthused ahead of the event: “St John the Baptist love to read!
“This World Book Day we are thinking about ourselves as authors and writing a whole school story so we can’t wait to learn, share and read together.”
For sixth form students, who are old enough to have graduated from reading time on the classroom carpet, the initiative is a way to glean some valuable insight to the publishing industry.
“Our sixth form students are so excited about the opportunity to find out about the transformation of a text from a writer’s manuscript to a completed book distributed to book shelves across the country”, said Madeleine Simpson, literacy honcho at Bridge Academy.
“World Book Day is a brilliant opportunity to think about what goes into sharing a story behind the scenes – it’s a chance to think about books in a completely new way.”
Larry Finlay, Managing Director of Penguin publishing house Transworld, confirmed that he’ll help Bridge students “try their hand at the different roles involved in book publishing”, adding: “we’re hoping that taking part will inspire them to consider a future career in our industry.”
Penguin Random House’s World Book Day celebrations don’t end there. They have released two specially commissioned volumes, each priced at £1 or a single World Book Day token: The Girl Who Thought She Was a Dog by broadcaster Clare Balding, and Brain Freeze by McFly singer/guitarist Tom Fletcher – a tale that blends two topics popular with youngsters: time travel and ice cream.
Tom Weldon, CEO of Penguin Random House UK, gave a summary of their Book Day mission: “This World Book Day we want to celebrate the power of books and stories like never before, with a record number of our colleagues coming together to volunteer in schools across London.
“By focusing on some of the most literacy-vulnerable regions in the capital – and indeed the country – we hope to use our own excitement for reading to inspire, engage and entertain children and young people in these communities.”