Rebecca Sinclair, president of the Publishers Association (PA) and chief brand officer of PRH UK, called for a National Decade of Reading at the Labour Party Conference on Tuesday 29th September.
At the event, held in partnership with the National Literacy Trust and hosted by the New Statesman in celebration of the National Year of Reading, Sinclair said “we now have an opportunity to turn the momentum of this year into lasting change” and that “every child should have the opportunity to discover the joy and love of reading”.
Extending the National Year of Reading into a Decade of Reading was one of the recommendations outlined in a report on reading for pleasure published in July by the Education Select Committee, led by Helen Hayes MP.
Sinclair previously wrote in The Bookseller: “With a new prime minister developing a 10-year plan for the country and Lucy Powell MP taking on the role of secretary of state for education, this is a pivotal moment. The Education Select Committee has provided a clear blueprint for placing reading at the heart of the government’s long-term vision for opportunity and growth. The task now is to build on the momentum of the National Year of Reading and translate that ambition into sustained action over the next decade. The Publishers Association stands ready to play its part alongside partners across the reading ecosystem.”
At the PA’s annual reception on 8th September 2026, Joanna Prior, CEO of Pan Macmillan and chair of the National Literacy Trust, said: “Now is the time to build on the momentum created during the National Year of Reading. We need to build a lasting legacy for the year – a National Decade of Reading – and to do so, all of us in this room today need to work together – publishers, partners, charities and political support.”
Journalist Becky Slack opened the event by talking about her personal love of books and reading, while Georgia Gould, Minister for School Standards, spoke of the unifying power of books and travelling around the country to see the National Year of Reading campaign in action, describing the energy as “unstoppable”.