What are Quick Reads? Quick Reads

Photo of young woman stood in front of some book shelves, reading a Quick Reads book.

What are Quick Reads?

Discover the joy of reading with Quick Reads. Short books and great stories by bestselling authors!

Quick Reads provide a route into reading that prioritises great story telling and adult-focused content while ensuring the books are written in an accessible and easy to read style. The books are written by some of the most popular authors in the UK – including Andy McNab, Jojo Moyes, Anne Cleeves, Ian Rankin and Benjamin Zephaniah – so they can be a brilliant entry point to new genres, authors as well as the spark to reignite or build up the joy of reading.

The Quick Reads programme has collaborated with over 30 publishers to produce a total of 135 titles since 2006 with over 5 million copies distributed and over 6 million library loans. Many are still available to borrow from your public library or buy from The Reading Agency’s bookshop.

We work with public libraries, prisons, colleges, hospitals and adult learning organisations to ensure these books are accessed by those who may find reading difficult as they are a perfect entry point to reading for pleasure.

In 2025, Quick Reads is sponsored by Penguin Random House and Hachette with additional funding support from The Foyle Foundation.

Photo of 2025 Quick Reads in a pile on a table.

Photograph of two older Asian women sat at a table reading Quick Reads books.

Get Involved

Buy the books through Bookshop.org, Waterstones, or borrow them from your local library. The titles are available in paperback, ebook, and audiobook!
Libraries can order Quick Reads from your usual library supplier such as Askews or Gardners and the Ebook and audiobooks from Overdrive or BorrowBox.
You can access accompanying learning resources, book group discussion guides and promotional materials on our resources database.
Quick Reads are perfect for supporting the Reading Ahead programme either as reading material or to use as rewards and incentives.

Our research

Quick Reads are an extremely valuable tool for boosting reading skills, confidence and engagement in learning. They can act as an entry point to different authors’ work in diverse genres, and have led to thousands of adults reading, completing and enjoying a book for the first time.

Our long-term goal is to build a nation of readers by getting Quick Reads into every home in the UK!

View Research

Quick Reads Impact