The Reading Agency launches largest-ever UK prison book-gifting programme

Nearly half a million Quick Reads books will be distributed across prisons in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland this autumn as part of the UK’s largest-ever prison book-gifting programme.

Delivered by The Reading Agency as part of the National Year of Reading 2026, the programme brings together 11 Quick Reads selected with input from people in prison and prison staff.

Crime and thriller writing is strongly represented in the collection, led by internationally bestselling author and the UK’s first Prison Reading Laureate Lee Child, alongside a broader selection spanning memoir, wellbeing, contemporary fiction and creative writing.

The collection includes books by A. A. Dhand, Dreda Say Mitchell, Fiona Cummins, Leye Adenle and Alex Wheatle, alongside memoir and wellbeing titles by Andy McNab, Lemn Sissay, Dr Alex George and Cathy Rentzenbrink.

Nearly 500,000 Quick Reads books will be distributed across prisons in England, Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, helping make engaging, accessible books available to people in custody across the UK.

Why reading in prison is potentially life-changing

The landmark programme marks the 20th anniversary of Quick Reads and has been made possible with funding from The Henry Smith Foundation, with additional support from The Balcombe Trust and Clays.

Prison Reading Laureate Lee Child said: “Reading matters in prison. Short, compelling stories can spark a renewed interest in books and that spark can lead anywhere. Making sure that every prisoner has access to engaging, well-written books during the National Year of Reading is not just symbolic. It’s practical, purposeful and potentially life-changing.”

The need to make reading accessible within prisons remains significant. Ministry of Justice statistics for 2024–25 show that 65% of English initial-assessment results across public prisons in England were at Entry Levels 1–3, while 11% were at Level 2 or above.

Quick Reads are specifically designed to remove some of the barriers that can prevent adults from reading for pleasure. Short, compelling and accessible without being simplistic, they offer an entry point both for established readers and people who may not have picked up a book for years.

How the books will reach right across the prison estate

The Reading Agency is working with HM Prison and Probation Service, the Ministry of Justice, Scottish Prison Service and Northern Ireland Prison Service to support delivery across the prison estate.

Karen Napier MBE, CEO of The Reading Agency, said: “When we put a book directly into someone’s hands, we are offering more than words on a page. Reading can offer escape, connection and space for reflection, while supporting wellbeing, confidence and learning.

“At the heart of this programme is choice. We have listened to people in prison about what they want to read and are bringing together books spanning crime and thrillers, memoir, wellbeing and creative writing. We want as many people as possible to have the opportunity to find a book that grabs them and discover where reading might take them.”

A wide range of different literary genres

The 11 books were selected with input from people in prison and prison staff, helping ensure the collection reflects a range of interests and reading experiences.

Crime and thriller writing emerged as a particularly strong thread.

High Heat by Lee Child takes a teenage Jack Reacher into New York during the 1977 blackout, Cell One by Leye Adenle is a fast-moving Lagos-set kidnap thriller and Darkness Rising by A. A. Dhand features Bradford detective Harry Virdee.

One False Move by Dreda Say Mitchell is a tense 24-hour story about a woman newly released from prison trying to go straight, while Fiona Cummins’ A Boy Called Saul brings together a troubled teenager and former detective with a dark shared past.

How reading can provide a positive outlook for the future

Yet the collection deliberately offers a range of other ways into reading.

Former SAS soldier Andy McNab’s Today Everything Changes tells how learning to read and the Army’s education system changed the course of his life after a childhood marked by poverty and petty crime. At 17, McNab had the reading age of a nine-year-old. He said: “Reading is so important, not just for education but to escape the confines of life.

“As someone who, at 17, had the reading age of a nine-year-old, becoming a reader changed my life. Reading not only provided me with an education and the ability to compete in the world but also sparked my imagination and that gave me a positive outlook for my future.”

Poet and author Lemn Sissay’s My Name Is Why explores his experience growing up in the care system and his fight to understand his identity, while The Mind Manual by Dr Alex George offers an accessible guide to looking after mental health and wellbeing. Cathy Rentzenbrink’s Write It All Down encourages readers to tell their own stories, while Dead Simple brings together eight short stories by bestselling writers for readers looking for something they can dip into and enjoy. Alex Wheatle’s Witness follows a young man facing an impossible choice between truth and loyalty.

Dr Alex George said: “Reading can be a moment of stillness and a chance for your mind to escape into another world. Seeing The Mind Manual adapted as a Quick Read means more people can access support when they need it most. I’m honoured it’s part of the prison collection — reading can be a lifeline in tough moments.”

A. A. Dhand, whose Darkness Rising is among the selected books, said: “Books should be accessible to everyone, regardless of their circumstances or their previous relationship with reading. In prison, reading can provide far more than temporary escape. It can build confidence, create empathy and give people the opportunity to see the world and themselves differently. If the right book reaches the right person at the right moment, it can open a door that may otherwise have remained closed.”

Making reading visible and connecting writers directly with readers

Alongside the distribution of books, Quick Reads in Prisons will be supported by a national engagement programme designed to make reading visible, accessible and enjoyable throughout the prison estate and connect writers directly with readers.

Activities include author-led workshops and creative writing activity, dedicated National Prison Radio content around the Quick Reads titles, and practical resources and activities to help prison libraries, education teams, peer supporters and staff bring the books to life.

The programme will encourage prisons to make Quick Reads available at different places and moments throughout someone’s time in custody – from libraries, wings and education to workplaces and other shared spaces – helping create more opportunities to encounter and enjoy a book.

The project is one of the most ambitious reading-engagement programmes delivered across the UK prison estate and forms part of the National Year of Reading 2026.