Adults need World Book Day, too

Happy World Book Day to all who celebrate! I think we readers should start treating WBD like Christmas. We could all sing special carols (’Every Day I Write The Book’, ’Paperback Writer’), and eat cake – maybe M&S could be persuaded to make Colin the Caterpillar a friend called Betty the Bookworm. If nothing else, I’d love to mark the day with a Reading Hour. Perhaps everyone could start work an hour late, or be given a half day, to have the chance to spend some time with a book. 

Many of us associate WBD with fancy dress – and if you’re a parent of young children, you might be reading this just moments after putting down the scissors and promising yourself that next year, you’ll just buy a Gruffalo costume. But there’s more to the day than dressing up. This year, we’re being invited to stop worrying about what young people are reading and focus on how they read. 

Cassie Chadderton, the chief executive of WBD explains: "Our research showed that one big barrier to reading was when children and young people felt judged about their choices – especially if an adult said a book was ’too young’ or ’unsuitable’. We can help children by letting go of the pressure and expectations, letting them just choose they want to read for fun. Perhaps if fewer adults felt reading-guilt, fewer children would too!" 

Those of us who grew up with WBD are now in our twenties and thirties. We might not be dressing up ourselves, but I think we need its message more than ever. Books have transformed my life, and I’m an evangelical reader. In February 2025, DK will publish my book Read Yourself Happy – a guide to building a reading habit that will ease your anxiety, and ultimately brings you joy. As the host of the You’re Booked podcast, I regularly speak to celebrated authors about the impact reading has on their work. Without exception, writers are readers, and they have found solace in books during difficult times. But even the most well-read among us are insecure about what we read, and whether we’re reading enough. Books have the power to make everything better, but it’s hard to engage with that power if we’ve forgotten that reading is supposed to feel good, first and foremost.  

Books have the power to make everything better, but it’s hard to engage with that power if we’ve forgotten that reading is supposed to feel good, first and foremost.  

I’d love to reclaim WBD as a celebration of lifelong literacy. It’s vital that we foster a love of reading in children, but it’s just as vital to remember that adults need books too. We’re all struggling to manage our mental health – and I believe that developing a regular reading habit is the best thing any of us can do to manage our anxiety. Deep down, we know this. This is why we stay up all night making costumes. We want our children to love books, because we believe books will make them kinder, smarter and calmer. Yet, we don’t necessarily apply that belief to our adult lives. 

A study from the Reading Agency says that non-readers are 28% more likely to report feelings of depression – but regular readers reported the fewest feelings of stress and depression. According to ONS statistics, all nations are seeing a year on year increase in anxiety levels. The Mental Health foundation has found that 73% of us have felt anxious recently, and 20% of us feel anxious all the time. Studies consistently show that reading has enormous mental benefits. A University of Sussex study found six minutes of reading can reduce stress levels by 68%, and a newly published study by Lynn Eekhof proves regular reading boosts empathy. I don’t understand why the benefits of reading regularly aren’t making the headlines. I believe books are even better for us than cold showers and kale.

Books have brought me immeasurable mental benefits. I think reading has saved my life. During a difficult period in my twenties, I was diagnosed with Generalised Anxiety Disorder, and I found myself returning to my favourite novels for comfort and relief. Picking up a familiar book feels like being in the company of very old friends – and being able to let them entertain you and look after you. The more I read, the more I want to read. 

For this year’s WBD, I’m going to make some kind of cake. I might even dress up as the Gruffalo. But first, I’m going to read. For fun. I might curl up with a Sophie Kinsella or a Mick Herron. I might pick up something I almost know off by heart, like Rachel’s Holiday, or The Secret Diary Of Adrian Mole. I’m going to read for pure, selfish pleasure, until I feel my shoulders dropping, my heartbeat slowing, and my breath becoming deeper. Reading regularly, for pleasure, has made me calmer and happier. A ‘good book’ is the one you want to read. The earlier we can share that message, the better – but it’s never too late to learn.