Fraser Hutchinson

Fraser Hutchinson has over 15 years of publishing experience (including publishing experience in the charity-sector) from children’s books through to academic and adult educational publishing, including Pearson and Wiley. Most recently he has worked at Oxford University Press as Senior Marketing Manager in the Children’s Book and Home Learning Department, and has a particular passion for developing and nurturing a life-long love of reading. He is now Head of Publisher Partnerships at The Reading Agency, a national charity which promotes the benefits of reading among children and adults in UK, working with partners including public libraries, colleges and prisons.

How to help create connections and build communities through social reading.

Reading groups are a great way for people to make friends, feel connected and empowered, and are a fantastic way to encourage readers to try books which they would never have come across otherwise. In this talk I will talk through the power and impact of social reading across the UK, outlining the programmes and evaluation we have used to measure this.

Here at The Reading Agency we know how important reading for pleasure is, and the positive difference it makes to our lives. We run a series of UK-wide programmes to reach hugely diverse groups of people, from children as young as four to adults. In this talk I will give an overview of our work, particularly showcasing our Reading Groups for Everyone programme. Reading groups are a great way for people to make friends, feel connected and empowered, and are a fantastic way to encourage readers to try books which they would never have come across otherwise.