Photograph of a school girl smiling and balancing stack of books on her head in a library

On Thursday 8 October, the National Literacy Trust and British Council are aiming to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most people reading online in 12 hours.   

As part of the National Year of Reading, the call is simple: whatever you’re into, take 10 to read into it. Whether it's a book, comic, magazine, match report or an audiobook, reading for just 10 minutes supports wellbeing and can open new worlds. 

This year, in partnership with the British Council, Take 10 is becoming a global initiative. By drawing from the British Council's global network of education and cultural partners in 85 countries and territories, this record attempt will connect students, teachers, families and communities.  

The record event will include four exciting sessions with world-renowned authors and influencers, each designed to engage and inspire different age groups: 5-8 years, 8-12 years, 12-16 years and adults (aged 16+). Each session will also include a slot where participants will take 10 minutes to stop and read, creating a global shared reading moment. Each session will be repeated during the day at different times to make the event as accessible as possible to a global audience.

Readers everywhere are invited to take part in this collective ‘time out’ that transcends borders. 

FAQs

Take 10 to Read is an annual campaign from the National Literacy Trust to promote the wellbeing benefits of reading. Now in its fifth year, Take 10 to Read highlights the wellbeing benefits of reading and encourages people of all ages to take just 10 minutes to read on and around World Mental Health Day. 

Anyone can take part, including:

  • Schools
  • Families
  • Community groups
  • Libraries
  • Workplaces
  • Individuals at home

People from anywhere in the world are welcome to join; the sessions are being run over 12 hours to allow for participation from different time zones.

The event will include four exciting sessions with world-renowned authors and influencers, each designed to engage and inspire different age groups. Each pre-recorded webinar lasts no more than an hour and includes a dedicated ten-minute reading session, during which participants will read together. This forms part of the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS attempt. 

Sessions will be repeated at different times throughout the day to make participation as accessible as possible for a global audience:

Age group Time
5-8 years 9am, 1pm, 5pm (BST)
8-12 years 10am, 2pm, 6pm (BST)
12-16 years 11am, 3pm, 7pm (BST)
16+ 12pm, 4pm, 8pm (BST)

Once you have signed up, you will receive a link to your session via email.  Please allow up to 48 hours for your email to arrive.

You only need to take part in one session to be part of the record attempt.

To meet GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS requirements and qualify for a participation certificate, participants must join the Zoom webinar and complete a pop-up form.

This form will ask:

  • Name
  • Country or nation you are joining from
  • Whether you are joining from a school, home or another setting
  • The number of people participating with you
  • What you are choosing to read.

Please refer to the FAQs found on the National Literacy trust website here.

External links

Share this