Photograph of a school girl smiling and balancing stack of books on her head in a library

On Thursday 8 October, the National Literacy Trust and British Council aimed to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most people reading online in 12 hours.   

As part of the National Year of Reading, the call is simple: whatever you’re into, take 10 to read into it. 

This year, in partnership with the British Council, Take 10 became a global initiative. Readers everywhere were invited to read for 10 minutes and take part in this collective ‘time out’ that transcended borders.

By drawing from the British Council's global network of education and cultural partners in 85 countries and territories, this record attempt connected students, teachers, families and communities.  

Following the event, evidence will be submitted to Guinness World Records for verification. Once reviewed and officially approved, Guinness World Records will confirm whether a new record has been set. We aim to inform participants about whether we have been successful before 9 November 2026.

FAQs

Take 10 to Read is an annual campaign from the National Literacy Trust to promote the wellbeing benefits of reading. Take 10 to Read highlights the wellbeing benefits of reading and encourages people of all ages to take just 10 minutes to read on and around World Mental Health Day. 

The event included four exciting sessions with world-renowned authors and influencers, each designed to engage and inspire different age groups. These were run over 12 hours to allow for participation from different time zones.

People from anywhere in the world were welcome to join the sessions. This included schools, families, community groups, libraries, workplaces, and individuals at home. 

Each pre-recorded webinar lasted no more than an hour and included a dedicated ten-minute reading session, during which participants read together. This formed part of the GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS attempt. 

Sessions were repeated at different times throughout the day to make participation as accessible as possible for a global audience:

Age group Time What's happening?
5-8 years 9am, 1pm, 5pm (BST) A reading of Super Uma by Rashmi Sirdeshpande, followed by a draw-along activity with illustrator Nakul P.
8-12 years 10am, 2pm, 6pm (BST) Frank Cottrell-Boyce will read from The Blockbusters! and explore themes including cinema and culture.
12-16 years 11am, 3pm, 7pm (BST)

Nathanael Lessore will discuss topics linked to What Happens Online, including digital identity, confidence, family and school life.

Please note that this event includes embarrassing anecdotes relating to bodily functions and toileting accidents. Some viewers may find these references unsuitable or uncomfortable.
16+ 12pm, 4pm, 8pm (BST) Coco Omer and Zubs, alongside reading ambassadors, will discuss their connection with reading and what it means for their wellbeing.

On Thursday 8 October, you only needed to take part in one session to be part of the record attempt.

To meet GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS requirements and qualify for a participation certificate, participants had to join the Zoom webinar and complete a pop-up form which asked:

  • Name
  • Country or nation they are joining from
  • Whether they are joining from a school, home or another setting
  • The number of people participating with them
  • What they chose to read.

We aim to inform participants about whether we have been successful before 9 November 2026.

Yes, you can find the recordings of the sessions hosted on YouTube here. 

Please refer to the FAQs found on the National Literacy trust website here.

External links

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