Families to get free books in time for Christmas

Packages will be distributed in time for Christmas

Oldham Libraries is gifting 1,000 books to families across the borough this Christmas

Leading charity The Reading Agency are working with Costa Coffee to distribute books to local communities – including some of those hardest hit by the pandemic.

Oldham Libraries has been successful in securing 1,000 packs to gift to local families.

As part of the Costa Coffee Gift-A-Book campaign packages will be distributed containing one adult book, one children’s book, a children's activity sheet and a range of Costa Coffee treats.

The books in each care package have been selected from the works of six bestselling authors connected to the Costa Book Awards. They are: Grandpa Bert and the Ghost Snatchers and Ellie and the Cat by Malorie Blackman, Queenie by Candice Carty-Williams, Eleanor Oliphant is Completely Fine by Gail Honeyman, Kaspar: Prince of Cats by Michael Morpurgo, Goth Girl and the Ghost of a Mouse by Chris Riddell and The Salt Path by Raynor Winn.

Oldham Council is working with partners across the borough to gift the packs to local communities.

Councillor Barbara Brownridge, Cabinet Member for Neighbourhoods and Culture, said: “This year has been hard for all of so it’s great that we can help spread some festive cheer and share the magic of reading.”

Karen Napier, CEO of The Reading Agency, said: “We are delighted to be announcing this partnership with Costa Coffee. Books connect and transport us to other worlds, but not everyone can access them: this has been especially true in 2020, which has been so challenging for so many.

"We have had an extraordinary response to the campaign, and we hope that it will bring some much-needed festive cheer to families and communities from Liverpool to Folkestone, from the Isle of Man to the Isle of Mull. We are working towards a world where everyone is reading their way to a better life, and initiatives like this help our work towards giving every child and adult equal access to the joy of reading.”

The Costa Coffee Gift-A-Book campaign is inspired by Jolabokaflod, the Icelandic tradition of exchanging books with loved ones on Christmas Eve.

It is a tradition dating back to World War II where families give and receive books and read through the night with chocolate and a hot drink.

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