ENTHUSIASTIC readers across South Gloucestershire will hand out free books in their communities for the fifth annually celebrated World Book Night.


There are 49 individual book givers taking part in the celebration of World Book Night on Thursday, April 23 across South Gloucestershire this year, which sees tens of thousands of volunteers across the country give away specially chosen and printed World Book Night books to people in their local areas who don’t regularly read.


Members of the public sign up to be World Book Night givers, applying to give away a particular title with information on where, to whom and why they want to give their books.


Suitable givers are chosen based on their ability to reach those who don’t regularly read and givers then collect the books from their local participating bookshop or library the week before World Book Night and inscribe the first page with their name, the name of the bookshop or library they collected them from and a unique identifying number which enables each book to be tracked.


The books are then given out to those who don’t regularly read within their communities.


South Gloucestershire Council is encouraging residents of all ages to get reading this year as part of its Time 4 Reading campaign, which will provide a range of exciting activities, programmes and partnerships throughout the year designed to improve literacy.

As part of the campaign, libraries in South Gloucestershire are supporting World Book Night by holding the following special events:

  • Quiz night at Winterbourne Library on Wednesday April, 22 at 7.30pm. Popular annual quiz for teams of up to six people with questions on a range of topics. For further information email winterbourne.library@southglos.gov.uk or telephone 01454 868006.
  • Emersons Green Library are holding quizzes for young people at three local youth clubs – Christ Church, Badminton Road and Resound. For more information email emersonsgreen.library@southglos.gov.uk or telephone 01454 868006.
  • Chat about books on Thursday, April 23 from 4pm to 6pm at Cadbury Heath Library. If you love reading and want to talk to others about your favourite books, discover the World Book Night authors, or would just like to get started reading, this is the event for you.
  • On Thursday, April 23, staff from Filton Library will be giving away books at mystery locations around Filton from 10am to 11am, 12pm to 1pm, and 3pm to 4pm.
  • During the afternoon of Thursday 23 April, Bradley Stoke Library staff will be in the Bradley Stoke Leisure Centre foyer giving out books.
  • During the morning of Friday, April 24, staff from Thornbury Library will be handing out free copies of World Book Night titles at a mystery Thornbury location.

 

For more information visit www.worldbooknight.org or www.southglos.gov.uk/events