The 20 titles which will be given away on World Book Night 2014 have been chosen. On 23 April, 12,500 copies of each book will be given away by volunteers and institutions focusing on reaching the 35% of the population who don’t read for pleasure.
The 2014 list has been curated with a view to offering a range of books chosen to appeal to people who haven’t yet been turned on to reading.
There is particular emphasis on books for teenagers and young adults, 46% of whom don’t read for pleasure; and men, 42% of whom don’t read for pleasure. The quantity of easy to read and accessible books has also been increased. As well as a wide range of fiction the list features four Quick Reads, five young adult titles, three non-fiction titles and two short story collections.
h2. The titles
* Hello Mum by Bernardine Evaristo (Quick Read) (Penguin General)
* Four Warned by Jeffrey Archer (Quick Read) (Macmillan)
* A Perfect Murder by Peter James (Quick Read) (Macmillan)
* Today Everything Changes by Andy McNab (Quick Read) (Transworld)
* Short Stories by Roald Dahl (Penguin Michael Joseph)
* CHERUB: The Recruit by Robert Muchamore (Hachette Children’s)
* Theodore Boone by John Grisham (Hodder & Stoughton)
* The Humans by Matt Haig (Canongate)
* The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas by John Boyne (Vintage, Random House)
* Gorky Park by Martin Cruz Smith (Simon and Schuster)
* Tales of the City by Armistead Maupin (Transworld)
* Rivers of London by Ben Aaronovitch (Orion)
* After the Funeral by Agatha Christie (HarperCollins)
* Whatever it Takes by Adele Parks (Headline)
* Geezer Girls by Dreda Say Mitchell (Hodder & Stoughton)
* Black Hills by Nora Roberts (Little, Brown)
* Getting Rid of Matthew by Jane Fallon (Penguin Michael Joseph)
* The Boy With the Topknot by Sathnam Sanghera (Penguin General)
* 59 Seconds by Richard Wiseman (Macmillan)
* Confessions of a GP by Dr Benjamin Daniels (The Friday Project, Harper Collins)
What the authors say
Author Armistead Maupin says: “World Book Night has to rank as one of the most ingenious new literacy schemes of the 21st century – volunteers giving books away to strangers on the street in an act of deliberate infection. It’s the love of reading ‘going viral’ with actual eye contact involved, so the rewards are profound for both giver and receiver. And for me, of course, the implication that ‘Tales of the City’ might make someone want to keep on reading is the highest compliment imaginable. I’m thrilled to be on this list.”
Our Ambassador and author Andy McNab says: ‘I am delighted that for the second year running, one of my books has been included in World Book Night. I didn’t read my first book until the age of 17, but I clearly remember the feeling of pride and achievement when I closed the cover at the end. Books changed my life and if the World Book Night programme puts books into the hands of people who otherwise might not discover them then it is achieving something incredibly important.’
Get involved
This year there are more ways than ever of getting involved with World Book Night:
* Individuals can apply to be a World Book Night Giver.
* Individuals can also apply to be a Community Book Giver. This position is new for 2014 and involves committing to, at the very least, giving a single book on 23 April. These volunteers will be responsible for their own book, either taking it from their book shelves, or buying it new or second-hand.
* Institutions can apply to be Institutional Givers and can ask to receive more copies of their chosen book than individuals.
* Libraries and bookshops can register as collection points.
