About EURead

Founded in 2000, EURead is a consortium of European reading promotion organisations who believe that reading is a prerequisite for full participation in today’s media-led and culturally diverse society. The aim of this leading network is to exchange knowledge, experiences and concepts, and to jointly develop new strategies for the promotion of reading.

The Global Network for Early Years Bookgifting

Managed by EURead, a global network of early childhood programmes providing free books and reading guidance to promote shared reading. Many members of EURead and of the wider network have been inspired by Bookstart in the UK. The goal of the network is to strengthen existing early years bookgifting programmes and help organisations install new ones.

 

Visit the Global Network website.

 

 

The Researchers Network

EURead and Global Network members who have a research department or research staff, join forces in the EURead Researchers Network. They discuss  research agendas, priorities and gaps,  and share research results and reports. Some of these reports can be found in the research section on this website.

 

Members

Currently, our members comprise organisations from Azerbaijan, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey and United Kingdom.

 

As you will see from the information on this website, the work of the individual members is very diverse; but there are clear similarities in each organisation’s strategies for reading promotion.

Board

Since 2014, Dr Joerg F. Maas of Stiftung Lesen (Germany) is Chair of EURead. Diana Gerald, CEO at BookTrust (UK), and Gerlien van Dalen, CEO at Stichting Lezen (Netherlands), are Co-Chairs of EURead.

Antonio Tajani, former President of the European Parliament:

‘As a former journalist, I have a passion for reading and writing, and not a single day goes by that I don’t grab a book or write some notes. These acts which are daily practice for me, are not for more than 73 million people in Europe who are illiterate – an alarming large and growing number.

The ability to read significantly influences education, integration and income of all citizens in Europe and in the worId. In order to address this problem, we need to promote literacy in Europe, and familiarize all age groups with reading. This is why I appreciate the various national initiatives as well as the European network EURead, which aim at getting people in Europe enthusiastic about reading.’

Work together

Find out how

Already reaching 12 million families through our work, EURead members are committed to ensure access to reading for all, whether in print or digital media. We work with practitioners, educators and policy-makers to highlight best practices and effectively influence member governments, and ensure the sustainability of the member organisations and their activities.

EURead has already demonstrated European-wide action on reading and literacy:

  • Through the adoption of early childhood literacy programs such as “Bookstart” in many EURead countries
  • Through the exchange of family literacy programmes
  • Through the European-wide campaign “Reading Aloud, Reading Together” Year 2013.
  • Through the pan-European campaign “Europe Reads”

EURead is open to suggestions for new cooperations. If you want to work with EURead, please contact us.