Free books for new mums as NGH supports World Book Night

Mums who give birth at Northampton General Hospital on Saturday will receive a free book thanks to an annual book giveaway to promote the benefits of reading.

World Book Night is an annual celebration of reading and books that takes place on 23 April. It sees volunteers and organisations give out hundreds of thousands of books in their communities to share their love of reading with people who don’t read regularly or own books.

At NGH, maternity staff will be distributing copies of Lucy Diamond’s Baby at the Beach Café,a story about many of the challenges faced by women when they are pregnant and having their first baby.

Maternity Matron Paula Briody said: “ The available research is unequivocal about the benefits to children of growing up with books. A child who is exposed to books from a very early age will have a bigger vocabulary but they’re not just learning new words, they’re assimilating language and communications skills. In Northamptonshire, the baby Bookstart scheme is a big hit with families and gets books into homes that might not normally have them.

“We’re really pleased to be involved in World Book Night because parents are the most important reading role models for children. We hope the book we’re distributing will resonate with our mums because it touches on many of the anxieties that pregnant women feel in a really easy-to-read and humorous style. And if it encourages any of our mums to re-engage with reading, the benefits will be felt by mothers and their babies.”

Impact of World Book Night
Evaluation of the impact of last year’s World Book Night shows that 80 per cent of book recipients were enjoying or had enjoyed reading their book. This behavioural change is particularly notable among those who previously never read or read less than once a month

• 80% of recipients who said they previously never read or read less than once a month said that they have read more since World Book Night
• 85% of infrequent readers have talked to others about books more since taking part
• 47% of this group report that they have already bought more books since World Book Night, and
• 32% have borrowed more from the library.

World Book Night is run by The Reading Agency, a national charity that inspires people to become confident enthusiastic readers to help give them an equal chance in life.