Quick Reads Initiative

Quick Reads are a series of short books by bestselling authors and celebrities. With no more than 128 pages, they are designed to encourage adults who do not read often, or find reading tough, to discover the joy of books.

They were launched in the UK and Ireland by the then Prime Minister Tony Blair on World Book Day 2006. Since then, over 60 titles have been published, over 3 million copies have been sold and 2 million copies have been loaned through libraries.

Quick Reads are a collaboration amongst leading publishers, supermarkets, bookshops, libraries, government departments, the National Institute of Adult Continuing Education (NIACE), Arts Council England, the BBC, World Book Day, National Book Tokens and more.

They are used as a resource for adult literacy teaching and have been used in Skills for Life and ESOL classes in colleges, community centres, libraries, prisons and workplaces across the country. They have also been used in hospitals, stroke recovery units, dyslexia centres, care homes, family learning groups, pre-schools, organisations working with homeless people and traveller communities, and Army and RAF bases.

Quick Reads have helped hundreds of thousands to pick up books and enjoy reading again. In a survey covering 50,000 new readers in 2010, 98% said that Quick Reads had made a positive impact on their lives. Quick Reads have:

• Improved new readers' confidence • Increased morale at work • Improved family life, as readers feel more able to help their children learn

Featured authors have included Gordon Ramsay, Chris Ryan, Danny Wallace, Andy McNab, Ricky Tomlinson, John Simpson, Colin Jackson, Scott Quinnell, Adele Parks, Kerry Katona, Minette Walters, Joanna Trollope, Alvin Hall, and Rolf Harris. The initiative also features six books based on the popular Doctor Who series. An incomplete list of titles can be found on the Quick Reads website.

The ten new Quick Reads for 2011 include stories from the world Number One James Patterson, l Irish novelist Sheila O'Flanagan, rising star Linwood Barclay and ex-Python Terry Jones. The other new Quick Reads include a comedy by Mike Gayle, a tale of childhood by Lucy Cavendish, a novel about a train journey going awry by Priya Basil, a martial arts adventure by Benjamin Zephaniah, a story of adoption gone wrong by Cathy Glass and a true story of a footballing bad-lad-made-good by Brighton & Hove Albion's Charlie Oatway.

Quick Reads are available from supermarkets, bookshops and online retailers for £1.99. They can also be ordered direct from publishers and wholesalers.

There are special offers for employers and for family reading breakfast organisers, and in 2010 the new titles were available as eBooks for the first time.

Wales

The project in Wales is also known as Quick Reads or Stori Sydyn in Welsh. Each year four books are published in Welsh, and four in English, by Welsh authors or celebrities. The campaign in Wales uses the same branding as the campaign in England, but it is bilingual. Funding for this comes from the Welsh National Assembly via Basic Skills Cymru, part of the National Basic Skills Strategy.

2006

Welsh:

• Brân i Bob Brân..., Rowan Coleman, Gwasg Gomer, ISBN 978-1-84323-721-1
• Dŵr Dwfn, Conn Iggulden, Gwasg Gomer, ISBN 978-1-84323-683-2
• Jake, Geraint V. Jones, Gwasg Gomer, ISBN 978-1-84323-689-4
• Parti Ann Haf, Meleri Wyn James, Gwasg Gomer, ISBN 978-1-84323-684-9

English:

• The Corpse's Tale, Katherine John, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-905170-31-9
• Secrets, Lynne Barrett-Lee, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-905170-30-2

2007

Welsh:

• Os Mêts..., Bethan Gwanas, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-0-86243-940-8
• Tacsi i’r Tywyllwch, Gareth F. Williams, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-0-86243-943-9
• Y Jobyn Gorau Yn y Byd, Gary Slaymaker, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-0-86243-941-5
• Y Rhwyd, Caryl Lewis, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-0-86243-942-2

English:

• Aim High, Tanni Grey-Thompson, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-905170-89-0
• The Rubber Woman, Lindsay Ashford, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-905170-88-3
• A Day To Remember, Fiona Phillips, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-905170-90-6
• Bringing It Back Home, Niall Griffiths, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-905170-91-3

2008

Welsh:

• Operation Julie, Lyn Ebenezer, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-025-3
• Jackie Jones, Caryl Lewis, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-040-6
• Dyn y Syrcas, Derfel Williams, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-035-2
• Y Gwledydd Bychain, Bethan Gwanas, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-036-9

English:

• Life’s New Hurdles, Colin Jackson, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-906125-93-6
• The Hardest Test, Scott Quinnell, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-906125-95-0
• Vinyl Demand, Hayley Long, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-906125-94-3
• Losing It, Roger Granelli, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-906125-94-3

2009

Welsh:

• Bywyd yn y Coalhouse: Y Teulu Griffiths, Brenda Griffiths and Cerdin Griffiths with Alun Gibbard, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-112-0
• Fyny Gyda’r Swans, Owain Tudur Jones with Alun Gibbard, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-115-1
• Peter Moore: y gwaethaf o’r gwaethaf, Dyfed Edwards, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-114-4
• Shane Williams: ar ben y byd, Shane Williams with Lynn Davies, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-113-7

English:

• Alive and Kicking, Andy Legg, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-906373-74-0
• Black-Eyed Devils, Catrin Collier, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-906373-61-0
• In At The Deep End: from Barry to Beijing, David Davies, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-906373-76-4
• Inside Out, Parc Prisoners, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-906373-75-7

2010

Welsh:

• Ali Yassine, Ali Yassine with Alun Gibbard, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-173-1
• Cymru Howard Marks, Howard Marks with Alun Gibbard, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-174-8
• Hiwmor Nigel, Nigel Owens, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-175-5
• Jamie Roberts, Jamie Roberts with Lynn Davies, Y Lolfa, ISBN 978-1-84771-172-4

English:

• Loose Connections, Rachel Trezise, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-907016-39-4
• Random Thoughts, Chris Corcoran, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-907016-38-7
• Team Calzaghe, Michael Pearlman, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-907016-37-0
• We Won the Lottery! - Real Life Winner Stories, Danny Buckland, Accent Press, ISBN 978-1-907016-11-0

External links

• Quick Reads Initiative Website
• Quick Reads Initiative Wales
• BBC Skillswise for Quick Reads audio recordings and downloads
• Quick Reads 2010 available as iPhone apps