Resources
The Big Eurovision Read Resource Pack
This year, the UK is hosting this year’s Eurovision Song Contest on behalf of last year’s winners, Ukraine. The Contest will be held in Liverpool on Saturday, 13 May. Partnering with BBC Arts, The Reading Agency is joining the party and celebrating the proven power of reading and the power of music, in a reading for pleasure campaign called the Big Eurovision Read. Download your resource pack including a communications toolkit, an activity toolkit, a poster and social media assets. For...
The Little Venice Bookshop - digital resources
This spring journey to Venice and lose yourself in a heart-warming romance from the bestselling author and book group favourite, Rebecca Raisin. We have a selection of social media assets and digital resources to download for your library. About the book: A bundle of mysterious letters. A trip to Venice. A journey she’ll never forget. When Luna loses her beloved mother, she’s bereft: her mother was her only family, and without her Luna feels rootless. Then the chance discovery of a collection...
It's OK To Be Angry About Capitalism by Bernie Sanders - digital assets and event livestream
It’s OK to be angry about capitalism. It’s OK to want something better. Bernie Sanders takes on the 1% and speaks blunt truths about a system that is fuelled by uncontrolled greed, and rigged against ordinary people. Where a handful of oligarchs have never had it so good, with more money than they could spend in a thousand lifetimes, and the vast majority struggle to survive. Where a decent standard of living for all seems like an impossible dream. It’s OK To Be Angry About Capitalism...
Maame by Jessica George Reading Guide
Maame is an unforgettable coming-of-age story about finally becoming the heroine of your own life. Here are some reading group questions to help enhance your discussion.
The Reading Agency’s April booklist for Adults – A Race Against Time
Our April booklist – ‘A Race Against Time’ – is chock full of exciting and gripping reads. From thrillers to Sci-Fi, there’s something for everyone. Dive into the list today and don’t forget to tell us what you thought of any of the books on the list by tagging us on social media using #booklist and tagging @readingagency!
The Corpse Flower - Social Media Assets
Swift Press is thrilled to introduce new readers to the internationally bestselling author Anne Mette Hancock. We’re offering library POS packs for the first book in her gripping Kaldan and Schäfer series, The Corpse Flower. New in paperback this January 2023. About the book The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo meets Sharp Objects in this internationally bestselling thriller, for fans of Jo Nesbo and Henning Mankell. Danish journalist Heloise Kaldan is in the middle of a nightmare. One of her...
Gecko Press - publisher spotlight
Gecko Press is an independent, small-by-choice, publisher of children’s books translated from books by some of the best writers and illustrators in the world since 2004. We choose books excellent in story, illustration and design, with a strong heart factor, and that can be read hundreds of times. Based in New Zealand, we are by nature an international business, both in what we publish and where we sell our books. Gecko Press has been represented in the UK by Bounce Sales & Marketing for...
Winchelsea by Alex Preston - digital assets and display competition
AS READ ON BBC RADIO 4 A SPECTATOR BEST OF THE YEAR – AS CHOSEN BY REVIEWERS In eighteenth-century Sussex, a young girl seeks revenge for the death of her father – an intoxicating historical novel that explores Southern England’s smuggling past. The year is 1742. Goody Brown, saved from drowning and adopted when just a babe, has grown up happily in the smuggling town of Winchelsea. But when she turns sixteen, her father is murdered by men he thought were friends. In a town where lawlessness...
Wonders of the World booklist for adults
March 3 is World Wildlife Day, a United Nations International day to celebrate all the world’s wild animals and plants and the contribution that they make to our lives and the health of the planet. We’re joining the celebration with our Wonders of the World booklist. It’s definitely one to go wild about!
The Reading Agency’s February booklist for Adults – Translated Books
On 21 February it is Mother Language Day so this month we have created a booklist of some terrific, translated books to enjoy. Each book has been translated from their original language or are available in translation. Don’t forget to tell us what you thought of any of the books on the list by tagging us on social media using #booklist and tagging @readingagency!
Trying Times for Sebastian Scattergood by Keith Rylands-Bolton - digital pack
Set in a small village in the Lincolnshire Wolds, Trying Times for Sebastian Scattergood is a chronicle of a horrendous year, narrated by an earnest and pompous man who lacks any sense of self-irony. Part disaster diary, part social satire, it is a novel of literary fiction which is both humorous and moving in equal measure. The digital pack includes: • Downloadable/printable letters from Sebastian to the reader • Downloadable selection of photos of the author that are relevant to the book,...
The Reading Agency’s January booklist for Adults – Books to Make you Laugh
January marks the beginning of a new year and we want to kick 2023 with lots of laughter. Escape into a world of humour and don’t forget to tell us what you thought of any of the books on the list by tagging us on social media using #booklist and tagging @readingagency!
Henry Eliot's Book of Bookish Lists - digital asset pack
Who had birds called Death, Wigs and Spinach? How do you spell the noise of a door slamming? Whose working title was The Chronic Argonauts? Henry Eliot – author, editor and insatiable bookworm – has ransacked the libraries and archives of world literature, compiling hundreds of bookish lists. This eclectic gallimaufry showcases his favourites: we witness the tragic ends of the Ancient Greek tragedians, learn the name of George Orwell’s pet cockerel and rummage through Joan Didion’s travelling...
Albi: the Glowing Cow Boy - reading notes and activities
These activities and notes are suitable for kids’ book clubs, home learning or in the classroom. About the book On a quiet farm in a frosty England, under the glowing light of a magical milk moon, a boy calf is born. His name is Albi, and he has no idea how extraordinary he is going to be. Several miles away lives a human boy called Rufus. Rufus is extraordinary in his own way, but he has no friends and no one to love him. Rufus seeks the family he never had, and he’ll go to any lengths to...
All Four Quarters of the Moon by Shirley Marr Teacher Notes
All Four Quarters of the Moon is a beautiful, heartwarming story about one family’s move from Singapore to Australia. This teaching pack explores some of the important themes within the book using spotlight extracts, discussion questions, cross-curricular activities and ideas aimed at 9+/KS2 readers.
'Foster' and 'Small Things Like These' Reading Group Guides
A Reading Guide to ‘Foster’ and ‘Small Things Like These’ (shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022) by Claire Keegan.
The Reading Agency’s December booklist - Books of the Year!
At The Reading Agency, we have read a lot of brilliant books over the past year; books that have made us laugh, cry and left us with a lot to discuss. Members of our team have picked the books that have stood out for them this year and shared a few words on why they loved it. We hope you find some inspiration for your next read, or perhaps spot a few titles you have enjoyed yourself! Tell us on social media by tagging readingagency and using #BooksOfTheYear. You can also find the booklists on...
The Reading Agency’s November booklist for Adults – Debuts
November marks National Novel Writing Month or NaNoWriMo (as it’s more commonly known). We want to celebrate some of our favourite debut authors of 2022. From edge-of-your-seat thrillers to thought-provoking explorations of culture and belonging, there’s something for everyone! Dive in today and don’t forget to tell us what you thought of any of the books on the list by tagging us on social media using #booklist and tagging @readingagency!
Someday, Maybe by Onyi Nwabineli - reading guide
Stunningly honest and bursting with wit, Someday Maybe is the story of grief and resilience that you won’t be able to stop talking about. Eve is left heartbroken by her husband’s unexpected death, but everyone around her – her friends, her boisterous British-Nigerian family, her toxic mother-in-law – seems to be pushing her to move on. Unable to face the future, Eve begins looking back, delving through the history of her marriage in an attempt to understand where it went wrong. So begins an...
The Trees Reading Group Guide - The Booker Prize 2022
A Reading Guide to ‘The Trees’ by Percival Everett, shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022. Includes information about the book, the author, what the Booker judges said and questions and discussion points.
Small Things Like These Reading Group Guide - The Booker Prize 2022
A Reading Guide to ‘Small Things Like These’ by Claire Keegan, shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022. Includes information about the book, the author, what the Booker judges said and questions and discussion points.
The Seven Moons of Maali Almeida Reading Group Guide - The Booker Prize 2022
A Reading Guide to ‘The Seven Moons of Maali Almedia’ by Shehan Karunatilaka, shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022. Includes information about the book, the author, what the Booker judges said and questions and discussion points.
Oh William! Reading Group Guide - The Booker Prize 2022
A Reading Guide to ‘Oh William!’ by Elizabeth Strout, shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022. Includes information about the book, the author, what the Booker judges said and questions and discussion points.
Glory Reading Group Guide - The Booker Prize 2022
A Reading Guide to ‘Glory’ by NoViolet Bulawayo, shortlisted for The Booker Prize 2022. Includes information about the book, the author, what the Booker judges said and questions and discussion points.
Icebreaker questions
You’ve read your book and come together with your group to discuss it, but where do you begin? Sometimes it can be difficult to know what to talk about first, so these handy questions will help to break the ice and get the conversation flowing. Looking to start a reading group? You can also download our How to start a reading group guide, and a social media guide to show how you can share your reading with others online.
Yearbook 2022 booklist
The results are in! To celebrate National Reading Group Day, we asked you for your recommendations for our 2022 Yearbook – the books that have made your group laugh, cry debate and more over the past year. We loved reading your recommendations and had a hard time selecting which books to put on our list. We hope that you enjoy them!
How to start a reading group
Interested in joining a reading group or starting one of your own? Download our quick guide to getting started. You can also download icebreaker questions to help get your discussion started, and a social media guide to show how you can share your reading with others online.
Social Media Guide
Reading Groups for Everyone is full of opportunities for reading groups, but publishers are often looking for feedback and reviews in return. They are also increasingly looking for groups who will share their thoughts on social media platforms. If you or your group aren’t familiar with social media, this can seem daunting. We’ve put together a simple social media guide which will enable you to take part and get up to date. Download the guide by clicking the link below. Looking to start a...
Cranthorpe Millner Publishers - spotlight
Cranthorpe Millner Publishers is an independent publisher based in Cambridge. Their first big title was Shaun Wallace’s autobiography, Chasing the Dream, which we published October 2018, and now they have a catalogue of just over 50 authors, though their aim is to stay small, releasing between 20-40 titles per year. To highlight an exciting, upcoming through months they have selected some of their upcoming titles to highlight and there is even some fantastic POS available for World Mental...
The Little Wartime Library Bookclub Kit
Based on true events, The Little Wartime Library is a book that remembers one of the greatest resistance stories of the war. This bookclub kit includes discussion questions, recipes, suggested reading list, a book trail and more.