Nottingham City Libraries is thrilled to join the 2026 National Year of Reading and ‘Go All In’.
This year we will celebrate everything our library service offers, with a programme running across Nottingham Central Library and all community libraries. Our aim is simple: to help create a city of readers by offering events and activities that connect with people of all ages, interests and reading levels.
Thanks to a successful bid to the Laureate Library Tour team, our first flagship event will be a special performance from Poet Laureate Simon Armitage, supported by Nottingham UNESCO City of Literature Nature Poet Laureate, Cara Thompson, on the evening of 3 March. This headline event will be surrounded by reading and writing workshops in libraries and community settings across the city.
There will be regular updates and further announcements throughout the year – including a special day of poetry and storytelling for school children on World Book Day, Thursday 5 March. Visit the Nottingham City Libraries website and follow us on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date.
It is free and easy to join the library. Visit any Nottingham City Library or join online to explore a world of reading – from magazines and bestselling novels to comics, audiobooks, cookery books and more.
Nottingham City Libraries also offer a range of volunteering opportunities, and throughout the year there will be new roles to support local communities to Go All In.
Corall Jenkins, Executive Member for Neighbourhoods, Waste and Equalities, says ‘Public libraries will be at the heart of a National Year of Reading movement. Nottingham City Libraries has a wide-ranging service offer and busy events programme, and this year we want to inspire even more people to visit their local library and Go All In with reading — whatever their interests.
Reading might include stories, ideas and information in print, digital and audio – from graphic novels and lyrics to articles, podcasts and games. There really is opportunity for everyone, no matter what their age, to find something they enjoy. Libraries are ideally placed to help people discover reading materials at no cost.’
Cllr Cheryl Barnard, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Education, adds:
‘We are delighted to support the National Year of Reading. Research shows that in 2024* only half of parents read with their child daily, down from 66% in 2019. We want to celebrate the joy of reading — which broadens minds, builds confidence and empathy, and fuels creativity.
There will be a host of activity across the city — in early years settings, schools, colleges and libraries — with a shared vision for Nottingham to be a place where reading for pleasure is joyful, visible and meaningful for everyone.’
Event Programme
To build on this flagship launch, Nottingham City Libraries will also be running a series of early creative activities across the city. These include nature‑themed poetry workshops, ESOL creative sessions, a Community Poetry Board launching 23 January, and a Spoken Word Digital Exhibition with submissions opening 26 January.
These activities mark the start of a much wider Year of Reading programme rolling out through 2026, with more to come – including an Adult Reading Challenge, half‑term family events, and further city‑wide celebrations designed to help everyone discover reading in their own way.
National Year of Reading | Nottingham City Libraries
Laureate’s Library Tour – Simon Armitage and Guests | Nottingham City Libraries
Contact: Laura Iremonger/ Georgina Dane-Wilding
Tel: 0115 9152847
Email: laura.iremonger@nottinghamcity.gov.uk Georgina.dane-wilding@nottinghamcity.gov.uk
*National Literacy Trust, 2024.