News

12th May 2026

The Queen’s Reading Room Explores Reading and Mental Wellbeing in New York

Here at The Queen’s Reading Room we’ve been exploring how the power of books can be unlocked to help vulnerable communities and individuals thrive. In partnership with St Mungo’s and The Elm Foundation, a homelessness charity and a charity supporting domestic violence survivors respectively, we have been running a pilot shared reading programme. The programme includes the Make Room for Reading Toolkit, a digital training resource for charity staff, exploring different ways to engage people with books and help inspire in them a love of reading. 

On Wednesday 29th April, we were joined at the New York Public Library by representatives from major New York-based literary charities and organisations dedicated to tackling domestic violence and homelessness. Our Chief Executive Vicki Perrin led a roundtable discussion on our research and work to amplify the transformative power of reading. 

Professor Barbara Sahakian, a world leading expert in clinical neuropsychology, and Professor Sam Wass, a developmental cognitive neuroscientist, joined the roundtable via video call to discuss their findings, research and ongoing hypotheses into how reading can be used to improve mental wellbeing and in trauma recovery pathways. CEO of The Elm Foundation Jennifer Calverley also spoke about her clients’ experience of using reading as a tool for connection within their community.

Her Majesty Queen Camilla met with many of the charity representatives, including Commissioner Erin Dalton from the NYC Department of Social Services and Saloni Sethi, Commissioner of the NYC Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-based Violence.

We look forward to expanding our grassroots work exploring shared reading, and to explore future collaborations with the incredible charities we met, to work together to help everyone make room for reading in their lives. 

Speaking after the event, Vicki Perrin said: “The Queen’s Reading Room is delighted to have partnered with leading charities and respected literary figures at the iconic New York Public Library in our mission to restore reading rates in the UK and beyond.”

With huge thanks to the participating organisations including: Arab American Family Support Center; Barrier Free Living; Homes for the Homeless; Jumpstart; NYC Department of Social Services; NYC Mayor’s Office to End Domestic and Gender-Based Violence; New York State Office for the Prevention of Domestic Violence; Reading Partners; Rising Ground; Room to Read; Safe Horizon; Sakhi for South Asian Survivors; Sanctuary for Families; Urban Justice Center; Urban Resource Institute; Violence Intervention Program; and, WiN (Women in Need).

We are also hugely grateful to CVC for their generous support of this important event. Their commitment to education and literacy is helping us bring together partners, experts and practitioners to explore how reading can support wellbeing, connection and community, and how we can share those benefits with more people through our grassroots work. 

12th May 2026

Queen Camilla and The Queen’s Reading Room Host Literary Event at New York Public Library

On April 29th, The Queen’s Reading Room was delighted to hold a literary panel and reception at the New York Public Library as part of Their Majesties King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s State Visit to the USA.

NBC’s Jenna Bush Hager joined authors Min Jin Lee and Harlan Coben to discuss the cultural power of storytelling, reading as a tool for empathy, and our neuroscience research into the well-being benefits of reading. Then followed a literary reception with Queen Camilla, alongside leading global cultural and literary stars including Dame Anna Wintour, Sarah Jessica Parker, Lee Child and V.V. Ganeshananthan. 

Queen Camilla, speaking to the incredible power of reading, said “books really are good for us. They also have a magic way of bringing people together, with their ability to transcend almost any barrier.” Celebrating the “precious friendship” between the UK and USA, Her Majesty expressed her hopes for The Queen’s Reading Room to play a role in the ongoing and longlasting cultural exchange between the two countries. Her Majesty also confirmed our intent to continue collaborating with institutions like the NYPL to “strengthen communities through the written word.”

A big thank you to all those who attended and to the New York Public Library for hosting us in their beautiful and historic venue. 

We are also hugely grateful to CVC for their generous support of this special event. Their commitment to education and literacy is helping us celebrate and champion the power of reading, and to continue building a future in which more people can experience the wellbeing, connection and opportunity that books can bring.

For the Queen’s Reading Room, this event was an important opportunity to celebrate the joy and cultural power of books, while shining a light on our wider charitable purpose: to prove, promote and share the benefits of reading.  Through our global community, research and growing partnerships, we are working to help more people experience the wellbeing, connection and opportunity that reading can bring. 

7th March 2026

The Queen’s Reading Room celebrates 100 years of Gateshead Central Library

Last weekend, The Queen’s Reading Room was delighted to produce a talk with author Peter James and actor Richie Campbell at Gateshead Central Library in Tyne and Wear as part of its 100th anniversary celebration.

The Gateshead Libraries’ event welcomed residents, families, artists and authors for a wonderful array of cultural and creative activities and talks.

On a gloriously sunny Saturday, bestselling crime writer Peter James, known for his much-loved Detective Superintendent Roy Grace series, met with fans and signed copies of his latest book The Hawk is Dead. Fans of ITV’s adaptation of the series Grace queued to meet Richie Campbell, who has been bringing Detective Sergeant Glenn Branson to life since the series began in 2021. Both Peter and Richie spoke to a group of avid readers from our partner, Reading for Wellbeing, an organisation that highlights the emotional, social and community benefits of reading.

The Queen’s Reading Room is on a mission to help everyone make room for reading. We were therefore honoured to join Gateshead Libraries’ celebration: an institution dedicated to putting books at the heart of community life.

With huge thanks to everyone involved, especially Rachel Ridley, Service Manager at Gateshead Central Library, and of course to Peter James and Richie Campbell for their incredible – and at times hilarious – insights into the world of Roy Grace.

3rd February 2026

Judging panel convenes to discuss The Queen’s Reading Room Medal nominations

Today a panel of esteemed judges convened in London to choose the winner of the inaugural Queen’s Reading Room Medal from our shortlisted candidates. The Queen’s Reading Room team read each nomination for this award, and selected the shortlist prior to the Judges’ panel. We were so impressed by the quality of nominations received last year, which detailed inspiring stories from reading heroes all around the nation.

The Queen’s Reading Room Medal celebrates individuals who have championed reading, books and literature in communities around the UK. The award has attracted a stellar judging panel consisting of figures from across the publishing industry including Jonathan Douglas (CEO of The National Literacy Trust), Dan Conway (CEO of The Publishers Association), Nels Abbey (Founder of the Black Writers’ Guild), Baroness Gail Rebuck (Chair of Penguin Random House), Alison Tweed (CEO of Book Aid International), Sarah Mears (Programmes Director for Libraries Connected), and Ann Cleeves (author and Founder of Reading for Wellbeing).

All finalists and the overall winner will be notified of the outcome in due course, and the overall winner will then be presented with the inaugural Queen’s Reading Room Medal at a glittering ceremony in London.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

27th January 2026

The Queen’s Reading Room stages ‘The Hamnet Experience’

On Tuesday 27th January, The Queen’s Reading Room staged ‘The Hamnet Experience’ at The May Fair Hotel in London, in partnership with Universal Pictures and Focus Features. The black-tie private screening celebrated Maggie O’Farrell’s award-winning novel and its stunning cinematic adaptation by Academy Award® winning director Chloé Zhao, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal.

Upon arrival, guests enjoyed a glass of champagne from Corney & Barrow while admiring some of the exquisite costumes from the film ‘Hamnet’ in the company of costume designer Malgosia Turzanska herself, who shared exclusive insights into bringing the world of ‘Hamnet’ to life through her stunning period designs. The evening continued with a very special Q&A on stage, where The Queen’s Reading Room Trustee, Gyles Brandreth, was joined by author Maggie O’Farrell, producer Liza Marshall, set decorator Alice Felton, casting director Nina Gold and cast members including Joe Alwyn, Jacobi Jupe and Olivia Lynes. The conversation was followed by a screening of ‘Hamnet’: guests witnessed Maggie O’Farrell’s exquisite prose transformed into cinematic poetry in this breathtaking adaptation that captures the intimacy, grief, and enduring power of Shakespeare’s untold family story.

Her Majesty Queen Camilla attended the evening and met cast and crew before joining the audience for the film screening, to the delight of all present.

Thank you to everyone who attended and to all our partners for a truly unforgettable evening.

Photos by Ian Jones

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

23rd January 2026

The Queen’s Reading Room unveils second pioneering neuroscience study in partnership with The Bentley Foundation

The Queen’s Reading Room has unveiled plans for its second major research project, in partnership with The Bentley Foundation, the philanthropic arm of Bentley Motors, and led by Professor Sam Wass at the University of East London, deepening understanding of how shared reading may transform lives through stress reduction, stronger social bonds, and improved wellbeing.

The laboratory controlled study will explore the physiological and psychological impact of shared reading groups and book clubs, deepening understanding of how reading together may reduce stress, strengthens social bonds, and improves mental health.

Building upon The Queen’s Reading Room’s groundbreaking 2024 primary study, which inferred that just five minutes of reading can reduce stress by nearly 20%, this second phase of research will employ rigorous scientific methodology to examine the transformative effects of reading within group settings and book clubs.