Many of those I interact with about books through this project, both virtually and at my Incomprehension Workshops, are young people. Even now, all these years after I set out to read the world, I sometimes find my inbox flooded with messages from students whose teacher has asked them to write to me recommending a story. A while ago, I received a wonderful video from a young boy in Beijing advising me to read a book that explained why tomatoes can sometimes be quite dangerous.
Statistics bear out the enthusiasm for reading internationally that I’ve seen among the young: according to data compiled by Nielsen for the Booker Prize Foundation, ‘book buyers under the age of 35 account for almost half (48.2%) of all translated fiction purchases in the UK‘.
So it was a delight to be invited to contribute an essay to a new collection celebrating the importance and joy of reading for children and young people. The Gifts of Reading for the Next Generation is the second such anthology put together by editor Jennie Orchard. Like the first volume, The Gifts of Reading, it was inspired by an essay by the UK nature writer and scholar Robert Macfarlane, who wrote the foreword to this new collection.
Other contributors include such household names as William Boyd, Michael Morpurgo, Nguyễn Phan Quế Mai, Imtiaz Dharker and Horatio Clare, and all royalties go to Room to Read and U-Go. Founded by John Wood, these organisations promote literacy and education for girls and women. Indeed, U-Go’s aim is to fund the university education of 100,000 young women in the world’s lowest income countries.
We celebrated the UK publication of The Gifts of Reading for the Next Generation with a launch at London’s Daunt Bookshop. Also published in the US and Australia, the collection is widely available.
BUT I have one copy that I am happy to sign and send anywhere in the world. If you’d like it, simply message me or leave a comment below telling me about a book you gave or received that was important to you.
Looking forward to hearing your stories!
Photos © Amber Melody
One book I received as a present that became a personal favorite despite all controversies surrounding it is *The Painted Bird* by Jerzy Kosinski. I remember being in Paris and trying to read it in the tube and failing miserably. It’s such an intense read that it demanded my full and utter attention. It got me interested in exploring the intersection of childhood and genocidal violence.
And….I’d love to receive your gift 🎁
Well done for persevering. Sometimes the most meaningful reads can be those we struggle with at first!
Hi I live in Athens Greece,so happy to be reading your blog ,I find it so relaxing yet so inspiring!
Margaret English teacher
How lovely – thank you Margaret!
I really enjoyed this post about The Gifts of Reading for the Next Generation! I loved how you highlighted the joy and importance of sharing books with young readers — both through your own interactions with students and through contributing to an anthology that celebrates reading for children and youth. I especially appreciated learning that all royalties from this collection support literacy and education organisations like Room to Read and U‑Go, which work to empower girls and young women around the world. It’s inspiring to see how books can create connection, curiosity, and opportunity across generations. Thanks for sharing such a thoughtful and heartening piece!