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Joseph Coelho, Jonathan Douglas, Jack Edwards and Katherine Rundell talk to Julia Eccleshare

Why Literacy, Why Now? A Conversation on the National Year of Reading

Hay Festival 2026, 

Join acclaimed author Katherine Rundell, the internet’s librarian and book advocate Jack Edwards, poet and author Joseph Coelho, and the Chief Executive of the National Literacy Trust Jonathan Douglas, for a vital conversation on the urgency of the National Year of Reading, chaired by children’s books commentator Julia Eccleshare.

Discover how we can ‘Go All In’ to play a role in creating change, showing the power of books to transform lives, and how we can all play a part in boosting literacy levels at home, in schools and in our own communities.

Joseph Coelho, Jonathan Douglas, Jack Edwards and Katherine Rundell talk to Julia Eccleshare