Could your school win the Harpercollins Reading for Pleasure Awards 2026?

Are your lessons guided by reading around the curriculum? Does your school put the library at its heart of learning? Is storytime a fixture in your class's day? HarperCollins is looking for teachers, librarians and schools that are dedicated to helping children grow a love of reading for its Reading for Pleasure Awards 2026.

The HarperCollins Reading for Pleasure Awards 2026 are run in association with The Open University and UK Literacy Association (UKLA) - and there is still time to enter the awards, which close on Sunday 14th June. The winners will be announced on Saturday 17th October at the Open University Conference in Milton Keynes.

2026 marks the National Year of Reading, a UK-wide campaign to inspire more people to 'Go All In' and make reading a regular part of their lives. Farshore's consumer insight research has shown that children's enjoyment in reading is at an all-time low, so it's more important than ever to highlight, recognise and celebrate those teachers and schools to share best practise both within and beyond the school setting.

These awards recognise and celebrate those teachers, schools and educators that successfully promote and encourage children's reading for pleasure, both within and beyond the school setting.

Award Categories:

Early Career Teacher (0-3 years in teaching)

Experienced Teacher (3 years plus) 

Whole School

School Reading Champion ( e.g., Librarians/other educators)

Community Reading (immediate and/or wider community, from local area to local authority) 

The HarperCollins Author's Choice Award is chosen by the guest judge as their personal favourite and will win a virtual visit from that author

Prizes:

Winners receive £250 worth of books of their choice, selected from HarperCollins Children's Books, Farshore, Barrington Stoke and Collins and twenty copies of Help Your Child Love Reading by Alison David.

Judges:

This year, bestselling author and Authorfy founder Mel Taylor-Bessent will be joining the judging panel. She said, "We all know the magic of storytelling and the power of the perfect book recommendation, so I'm thrilled to be a judge for the Reading for Pleasure Teacher Awards, where teachers and librarians have gone above and beyond to inspire their pupils in ways that are imaginative and hugely impactful."

The judges for this year's awards will also include Joy Court, co-founder of All Around Reading; Teresa Cremin, professor of education at The Open University; Alison David, consumer insight director at Farshore; Martin Galway, head of school programmes at National Literacy Trust; Lee Newman, executive publisher at Collins, Cally Poplak, managing director of HarperCollins Children's Books and Farshore, and David Reedy, reading expert and former President of the UK Literacy Association.

"Celebrate innovation"

Professor Teresa Cremin, a researcher, academic activist and advocate of reading, said the awards "celebrate the dedication, innovation, and creativity shown by educators in order to entice, engage and encourage young readers, within school and beyond". She added, "Research from around the world has shown the power and potential of reading for pleasure, demonstrating that choice-led reading in early years has a significant impact on well-being and academic performance."

Nichola Rossall, Assistant Principal at Willow Primary School, a previous winner of the award, recommended that other schools apply for this award. "It is a wonderful opportunity to reflect on your success and share good practice with the wider educational community," she said.

Further information:

The deadline for entries is midnight, Sunday 14th June, and you can find out more about entering here: https://collins.co.uk/blogs/the-book-squad-blog/reading-for-pleasure-awards-how-to-enter

There is further information about the awards and all the details on how to enter here: https://collins.co.uk/pages/reading-for-pleasure-awards or https://ourfp.org/share-your-practice/