Reading Ahead

Reading Ahead aims to get prisoners reading – both for enjoyment and as a gateway to further library and education activity.

Reading Ahead is a literacy programme run by the Reading Agency which, pre lockdown, ran in more than 100 prisons. All prisoners who complete Reading Ahead receive a pocket dictionary given by Give a Book. The gift of a dictionary is frequently cited as the principal reason for someone to take up the reading challenge.

Since starting our partnership with Reading Ahead in 2013, Give a Book have supplied over 49,000 dictionaries to participants in UK prisons.

“Was in Glen Parva YOI just now. Your dictionaries were unanimously voted as the best incentive for taking up the Challenge. Better than chocolate, pens, or good behaviour reports!” Project Manager RA

“One of the main attractions for me to start the Six Book Challenge was to obtain the dictionary. I had not read a book for many years prior to coming to prison, but needed a dictionary to help me understand some my legal documents. By doing the Six Book Challenge I have rediscovered the joy of reading so thank-you for this gift.” Prisoner