Our fourth annual virtual multi-author event, the Readathon® Summer Party, took place on Thursday 26 June 2025 for all schools who signed up for this year’s Readathon, with around 65 schools and almost 5,000 students registering to watch.
This jam-packed, fun-filled event is a fantastic way for us to thank schools for their amazing reading and raising which helps us get a regular supply of brand new books and professional storyteller visits to seriously ill children in UK hospitals — a fabulous celebration of all things reading!
Justine Daniels, CEO Read for Good, says: “Our Readathon Summer Party epitomises our mission at Read for Good – to inspire children to experiment with reading, to read whatever they love and to read confident in the knowledge that all reading is good reading! We hope that the fantastic variety of authors, illustrators and genres showcased helps children to discover their own life-long love of reading.”
Our Summer Party is made possible by some incredible authors, illustrators and publishers who align with our mission to get more children reading for pleasure. They each share their joy and enthusiasm for books and storytelling to help children read what they love, and love what they read!
Through generous publisher donations, we were also able to send 10 prize-draw winning schools a fabulous bundle of books by our Summer Party guests.
Our huge thanks go to the authors, illustrators and publishers who supported this year’s brilliant event:
Author illustrator Nick Sharratt
Author A.F. Steadman
Simon & Schuster publishers
Author Dr Matt Bothwell
Dorling Kindersley publishers
Author illustrator Neill Cameron
The Phoenix
“It was amazing to be part of the Read for Good 2025 Summer Party, alongside many great authors and illustrators…scary unicorns, anxious doughnuts and alien life across the galaxy. Fun times!” Matt Bothwell, author and Public Astronomer
The event will be freely available for all to watch on our website from October 2025.
We continue to be impressed and humbled by the thousands of school pupils who support our fundraising through Readathon each year. Through their work, we are able to share the joy of books and stories with children in hospitals across the UK.
And calling all schools! Get reading and raising by ordering your free Readathon kit for 25/26 and keep the reading buzz going. Plus, you can join our amazing virtual event with the brilliant Michael Rosen on Thursday 13 November.
“If you try [reading] lots of different things, I bet you are gonna find something that you really love.” A.F. Steadman, author
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