Celebrate Australian Reading Hour 2021
August 11, 2021
Australian Reading Hour will take place this year on Tuesday 14 September, and features over 180 Australian authors and illustrators as ambassadors. The theme is Stories that Matter: The Story of Me, the Story of You, and How we are becoming Us, and has events designed to explore how the stories we read and write shape our sense of identity, belonging and wellbeing, as individuals and a nation. It also aims to help audiences discover more great books to read by Australian authors.
Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund is a keen supporter of Australian Reading Hour, brought to us through Australia Reads, a partnership with key industry stakeholders including: the Australian Booksellers Association, Australian Library and Information Association, Australian Publishers Association, and the Australian Society of Authors, which engages with the community to emphasise how important reading is for everyone and how reading changes lives.
Australia Reads supports and promotes a celebration of reading, connecting readers with author events and book readings held across libraries, schools and bookshops all year round, and will be ramping up from 2 September in the lead up to the Australian Reading Hour.
The aim, as always, is to encourage everyone to read for an hour – alone, with family or friends, or as part of an event in bookshops, shopping centres, on public transport, in workplaces and libraries – everywhere!
Australian Reading Hour will be celebrated with a variety of events around the country. If you can commit to organising an event during this fortnight please submit this form to Australia Reads before 31 August.
About Australia Reads (courtesy of ALIA)
Australia Reads is a unique Australian book industry collaboration (between authors, booksellers, libraries and publishers) borne of a common passion for, and mutual interest in, championing reading, promoting the many mental health and lifestyle benefits of reading books, and encouraging the next generation of avid book readers.
Everything we do, we believe in championing reading. We believe reading is the key to a smarter, healthier, happier nation. The way we champion reading is by curating a content and events platform that is informed by research, beautifully designed for all ages, and a conduit for connecting with businesses, communities, organisations and schools. We just happen to have Australia’s great authors on our books – quite literally.
By positioning Australia Reads as an always on initiative, Books Create Australia (an alliance between ALIA, the ABA, APA and ASA) aims to significantly increase book reading by all Australians – no matter the format they read.