Australian Reading Hour

I am very excited and proud to be an Ambassador for Australia Reads and the upcoming Australian Reading Hour 2023! Australian Reading Hour is a national day dedicated to sharing the joys of books, reading and stories. Spend one hour on the day reading, sharing and enjoying the stories you love with others! Australian Reading Hour was launched as part of the 2012 National Year of Reading and is now a much-loved highlight on Australia’s literary calendar.

This year, the message is: read, share, and enjoy some time together with books!

Choose from a programme of live and online events around the country, organise your own book club or reading party, or curl up somewhere comfy and gift yourself the time to read.

Stop, read and breathe.

Check the event guide to find out how to host or attend an event and see the directory to discover amazing Australian authors and illustrators to book for your programs – including me!

Social media activity will run all day, so there’s lots of opportunity to connect with other book lovers and Australian authors and illustrators. Use #AustralianReadingHour #ARH23 #ReadShareEnjoy

Getting involved in hosting an event is easy. Arrange for your event to be held on Thursday 9 March 2023 and register your event – whether it is private or public. Once your event details are finalised it will be added to the national calendar of Australian Reading Hour events, if it is open to the public to attend. There are lots of ideas to help inspire you to create your own event and we’d love you to invite your community to participate and share in the celebrations.

I cannot imagine anything better than an entire day, where the whole country talks about books together.

For Australian Reading Hour we invite you to:
1. Read something new or revisit an old favourite!

2. Share the experience and joy of reading with others – in your community, your school, with your family and friends.

3. Enjoy the wellbeing benefits that come with reading for pleasure and connecting with new ideas, perspectives and people.

Books – in whatever shape, size, or form, are a great way to unwind, learn new things, discover new stories, and feel all kinds of emotions. Whether you’re reading fiction or non-fiction, periodicals or poetry, journals or joke-books, memoir or magical fantasies…your body, heart and brain, will all know you’re onto something special. That’s why Australia Reads is encouraging everyone to read a little bit more (or even a lot more!).

All the details are on the website and if you would like to invite me to your event, find me here.

Helen