Overview
- Launched in January 2021 during lockdown, the initiative has evolved from an Instagram book club into a charity connecting about 186,000 readers in more than 180 countries.
- The fifth‑anniversary drive, branded Make Room for Reading, urges five minutes a day, supported by findings of nearly 20% lower stress, an 11% focus boost and reduced loneliness after brief fiction.
- Unicef reports that 70% of 10‑year‑olds in low‑ and middle‑income countries could not understand a simple story in 2022, up from 57% before the pandemic.
- The National Literacy Trust says only 32.7% of UK children and young people aged 8 to 18 enjoyed reading in 2025, the lowest level since 2005.
- Chief executive Vicki Perrin says Camilla still selects every club title, totaling 76 recommendations, as the charity expands with a festival, a podcast, a new medal and thousands of donated books.