“Reading really is a superpower,” says Stormzy
The British rapper is backing a national campaign to encourage more people to pick up a book
AUTHORS – you might reasonably expect – are in tune with the power of stories, but perhaps nowhere near so much as those whose lives have been transformed by them. Even so, the message can be a hard one to get across these days.
The truth is, modern life makes it all the harder to reap the benefits of a ‘mental massage’ courtesy of relaxing with a good book. Reading for pleasure has always been something of a minority pursuit, relatively speaking, but these days we often hear how it is experiencing a decline.
There’s a lot of pressure on our time and attention, of course; especially these days, but that’s not to say interest in the written word is on the wane. Indeed, there are more readers out there than meets the eye, research reveals.
Despite there being a feeling that reading is in something of a crisis, the picture is evidently rosier than it first appears, if The Reading Agency’s latest State of the Nation report is anything to go by.
Published in October 2025, the research finds that almost half of adults (47%) in the UK do not identify as readers. That leaves 53% – up from 50% the previous year – who describe themselves as regular readers. That’s something.
Behind the book
Appearances can be deceptive, however. Among the former group, a strong majority (77%) regularly consume text in other forms, be that news articles, recipes, game narratives, or graphic novels, so there’s hope for the written word yet.
Time, and the mental space needed to focus our attention, appears to be the main hurdle to properly get to grips with a reading habit. As the research notes, people who feel like they have a lot of free time are 25% more likely to be regular readers.
On the flip-side of the page, people who say they don’t have a lot of free time are 46% more likely to be a lapsed reader. Meanwhile, those who strongly disagree that they have a lot of free time are 50% more likely to be non-readers.
We get it, given the pressures we all face in our every day lives, it takes an effort of will and action to nurture the habit. That’s as true for the individual, as it is for society. Sometimes, given the state of the world, even avid readers struggle to maintain momentum, so every little helps.
On that note, we come to the National Year of Reading. As you might expect from the title, it’s all about nurturing that push for momentum. The campaign wants to encourage more people across the UK to make reading a “regular part of their lives”.
The initiative is backed by The Reading Agency, and a host of fellow partners, including The National Literacy Trust, Book Trust, the Bookmark reading charity, and many more.
Encouraging more people to read is a boon for authors, naturally – the more people read their works, the merrier – but more importantly it’s beneficial for readers too. The Reading Agency’s research also shows that regular reading can transform lives – improving our well-being, social mobility, and long-term life chances.
As the charity’s research found, regular readers are 86% more likely to report feeling a sense of belonging in their community. Furthermore, they are 58% more likely to report feeling generally happy, while 51% say they are more likely to report finding it easy to relax. They sleep easier, too, with 45% likely to report sleeping well.
Mental health benefits as well, with 35% of regular readers likely to say they don’t feel lonely, and 32% more likely to say they don’t feel anxious or depressed.
“We are all made of stories”
Given such findings, it’s easy to see why there is such campaigning interest in encouraging more people to become regular readers. The benefits run deeper than just a love of words: There’s power in literature.
Indeed, Stormzy calls reading a “superpower”. The rapper, singer, and songwriter is backing the The Reading Agency’s contribution to the National Year of Reading, throwing his support behind the charity’s Quick Reads campaign.
“Reading helped me when I was young and it still does today,” Stormzy said. “Books have the power to carry you through life … I encourage anyone who doesn’t usually read to pick up a Quick Read – because reading really is a superpower.”
Stormzy is known for his creative and cultural impact, as well as his commitment to social change. He has long used his platform to tackle inequality and champion access to the arts.
In 2020, he founded the #Merky Foundation, pledging £10 million over 10 years to support racial equality and justice reform. He also has an imprint at Penguin Random House called #Merky Books, with one of its authors – Derek Owusu – featuring among this year’s six Quick Reads titles.
“I’m really proud that Derek Owusu ... is taking part in The Reading Agency’s Quick Reads. His words will reach the people who need them most,” Stormzy added. “Music and books are both about finding your voice. We are all made of stories – they define who we are – and that’s why #Merky Books exists: to make sure every voice has a platform.”
Quick Reads are short, accessible books written by best-selling authors. They are created specifically for non-readers, lapsed readers, people with short attention spans, and neurodivergent readers.
The flagship campaign has been running for 20 years now, and it is designed to engage those adults who don’t yet see themselves as readers. Since it launched in 2006, the venture has distributed over five million books, worked with more than 30 publishers, and generated over six million library loans.
National movement
The programme has grown into a national reading movement centred around World Book Night on 23 April, when thousands of Quick Read titles are gifted to libraries, prisons, community groups, charities, and foodbanks across the UK.
Owusu – an award winning writer and poet – said: “Having never read a book until the age of 24, I wish I had come across Quick Reads sooner.
“They’re accessible, affordable, and gentle in their approach, allowing new or lapsed readers to find their way into the pleasure and fulfilment of reading fiction and non-fiction.
“I’m excited to be part of their legacy and to add my voice to something that helps people feel confident enough to pick up a book and look forward to spending time with it.”
The Reading Agency says its Quick Reads titles all go through a rigorous accessibility review process. This includes testing for readability, concentration, and suitability for adults who are rebuilding their reading confidence. This year, to mark the programme’s its 20th anniversary, the charity has ambitious expansion plans.
The charity intends to launch Quick Reads as audiobooks for the first time. It has teased the announcement of a major new partnership – and a special Quick Read title – on World Book Night.
“Quick Reads are a proven, high-impact way to reach adults who don’t yet see themselves as readers,” said Karen Napier, The Reading Agency’s chief executive. “During the National Year of Reading and on World Book Night, we want to show that reading is for everyone – and that a single book can be the start of a lifelong habit.”
The 2026 Quick Reads titles are:
Rachel Hore – The Girl in the Picture (Simon & Schuster)
Leye Adenle – Cell One (Simon & Schuster)
Rosie Goodwin – Sweet Charity (Bonnier Books UK)
Louise Jensen – The Woman Next Door (HQ, HarperCollins)
Derek Owusu – Hunger Pains (#Merky Books, Penguin Random House)
Carmel Harrington – The Last Bench (Headline, Hachette)
MC