The Pleasure List

Share the books that bring you joy!

A man reading a book sat underneath a tree

Everyone knows the benefits of reading: it expands your world, sharpens your mind. It might even make you more creative or successful.

But fewer people are reading for pleasure in the UK. More and more people feel that books aren’t for them, or they don’t know where to begin.

We want to change that.

In 2026 – the UK’s National Year of Reading – we’re joining the Go All In campaign to celebrate the books that bring joy and offer new readers a way into a love of literature.

And this is where you come in!

We want to curate the ultimate list of joyful reading that we can use to inspire new readers, which we’re calling The Pleasure List.

Use the form below to submit your favourite books. Anyone can submit - readers, writers, teachers, and publishers from all around the world. And everyone who nominates a book will be entered into a prize draw to win a special bundle for their nominated community space.

Out of these submissions, we will compile The Pleasure List – a selection of the very best books to inspire new readers – to be unveiled at a special event during Hay Festival 2026.

Submit yours...

Name *
Email *

The book I read in one sitting...

Title*
Author*

The book that always cheers me up...

Title*
Author*

The book that changed my mind...

Title*
Author*

The book that started it all...

Title*
Author*

The book I would take on a desert island...

Title*
Author*
 
* All fields must be completed

Share your thoughts online too using #ThePleasureList on social media.

Terms & Conditions

  • 1. Information on how to enter forms part of these conditions of entry. Participation in this promotion constitutes acceptance of these conditions of entry.
  • 2. Entry is open to anyone except directors, management and employees (and the immediate families of directors, management and employees) of the Promoter or the agencies or companies associated with this promotion.
  • 3. Entrants can submit as many suggestions on the form above, but will all be limited to one entry in the competition.
  • 4. The promotion will start at 00:01 on Thursday 11 December 2025 and will close at 23:59 on Friday 15 May 2026 (the “Promotion Period”).
  • 5. The prize is a year's subscription to Hay Festival Anytime, plus a set of The Pleasure List books to be announced on the eve of Hay Festival 2026.
  • 6. Winners must have access to a personal email account on the internet.
  • 7. Hay Festival accepts no responsibility for late, incomplete, incorrectly submitted, corrupted or misdirected entries, network failure or delay.
  • 8. The Promoter and its associated agencies and companies will not be liable to any prize winner and their guest for any loss (including, without limitation, indirect, special or consequential loss or loss of profits), expense or damage which is suffered or sustained (whether or not arising from any person’s negligence) in connection with this promotion or accepting or using any prize, except for any liability which cannot be excluded by law (including personal injury, death and fraud) in which case that liability is limited to the minimum allowable by law.
  • 9. No warranty or guarantee is given by the Promoter in relation to any prize.
  • 10. The prize(s) is/are not transferable or exchangeable and cannot be redeemed for cash or any other form of compensation. In the event for any reason the prize winner does not take an element of the prize at the time stipulated by the Promoter, then that element of the prize will be forfeited by the winner and neither cash nor any other form of compensation will be supplied in lieu of that element of the prize. If for any reason a prize is not available, the Promoter reserves the right to substitute another prize for it, in its sole discretion, of equal or higher value.
  • 11. If for any reason any aspect of this promotion is not capable of running as planned the Promoter may in its sole discretion cancel, terminate, modify or suspend the promotion, or invalidate any affected entries (this includes, without limitation, by reason of infection by computer virus, network failure, bugs, tampering, unauthorised intervention, fraud, technical failures or any cause beyond the control of the Promoter which corrupts or affects the administration, security, fairness, integrity or proper conduct of this promotion).
  • 12. If any of the winning entries are deemed not to comply with these conditions of entry, the entry will be discarded and a new winner of the prize will be determined by the Promoter.
  • 13. In all aspects of this promotion the Promoter’s decision is final and no correspondence will be entered into regarding the promotion.
  • 14. The Promoter reserves the right to publish the name and county of residence of the promotion winner.
  • 15. This Promotion shall be governed by English law.