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Entries open for the HarperCollins Reading for Pleasure Awards 2026
HarperCollins UK is pleased to announce that entries for The Reading for Pleasure Awards 2026, now in their 9th year, are open. The awards are run in association with The Open University and UK Literacy Association (UKLA).
2026 marks the National Year of Reading, a UK-wide campaign to inspire more people to ‘Go All In’ and make reading a regular part of their lives. HarperCollins is proud to support this year-long campaign with a range of promotional activity, including The Reading for Pleasure Awards.
Farshore’s consumer insight research has shown that children’s enjoyment in reading is at an all-time low, so it’s more important than ever to highlight, recognise and celebrate those teachers and schools to share best practise both within and beyond the school setting. These awards recognise and celebrate those teachers, schools and educators that successfully promote and encourage children’s reading for pleasure, both within and beyond the school setting.
The categories in the awards are as follows:
• Early Career Teacher (0-3 years in teaching)
• Experienced Teacher (3 years plus)
• Whole School
• School Reading Champion ( e.g., Librarians/other educators)
• Community Reading (immediate and/or wider community, from local area to local authority)
The HarperCollins Author’s Choice Award is chosen by the guest judge as their personal favourite and will win a virtual visit from that author
This year, bestselling author and Authorfy founder Mel Taylor-Bessent will be joining the judging panel. Mel Taylor-Bessent is the author of The Christmas Carrolls and the Race to Imagination Island series. She founded Authorfy, an online platform connecting children worldwide with their favourite authors through videos and literacy resources used in schools everywhere. She has been featured in the Blue Peter Book Club, shortlisted for the Ruth Rendell Award for championing literacy in the UK, and been an author ambassador for both the Schoolreaders charity and the Reading Agency's Teachers’ Reading Challenge.
Mel says, ‘I’m constantly blown away by the commitment, creativity and care teachers put into their reading for pleasure initiatives. We all know the magic of storytelling and the power of the perfect book recommendation, so I’m thrilled to be a judge for the Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards, where teachers and librarians have gone above and beyond to inspire their pupils in ways that are imaginative and hugely impactful.’
Alongside Mel Taylor-Bessent, the judges for this year’s awards will be Joy Court, co-founder of All Around Reading, Teresa Cremin, Professor of Education at The Open University, Alison David, Consumer Insight Director at Farshore, Martin Galway, Head of School Programmes at National Literacy Trust, Lee Newman, Executive Publisher at Collins, Cally Poplak, Managing Director of HarperCollins Children’s Books and Farshore, and David Reedy, reading expert and former President of the UK Literacy Association.
Professor Teresa Cremin, a researcher, academic activist, and advocate of reading says: ‘Research from around the world has shown the power and potential of reading for pleasure, demonstrating that choice-led reading in early years has a significant impact on well-being and academic performance. The Reading for Pleasure Awards celebrate the dedication, innovation, and creativity shown by educators in order to entice, engage and encourage young readers, within school and beyond’.
Nichola Rossall, Assistant Principal at past-winning Willow Primary School, says ‘Willow Primary School was incredibly proud to receive the Whole School Reading for Pleasure Award. This achievement recognizes the hard work we’ve put into building a vibrant reading culture over the last few years. We highly recommend that other schools apply for this award; it is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on your success and share good practice with the wider educational community.’
The deadline for entries is midnight, Sunday 14th June, using forms found via this link: collins.co.uk/blogs/the-book-squad-blog/reading-for-pleasure-awards-how-to-enter
The winners will be announced on Saturday 17th October at the Open University Conference in Milton Keynes.
More information about the awards and all the details on how to enter can be found here: collins.co.uk/pages/reading-for-pleasure-awards or ourfp.org/share-your-practice/