Reading Well

Reading Well supports you to understand and manage your health and wellbeing using helpful reading.

Reading Well books are all recommended by health experts, as well as people with lived experience of the conditions and topics covered and their relatives and carers.

You can be recommended a title by a health professional, or you can visit your local library and take a book out yourself.

Where can I find the books?

Visit the books page for our book collections.

You can borrow books from the collections from your local library. Reading Well is a shared programme with Libraries Connected as part of the Universal Public Library Health Offer.

The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport (DCMS) has funded a universal roll-out of the reading lists to support mental health to every library service across England. Welsh Government have funded every library authority in Wales to deliver the scheme bilingually in Welsh and English.

Many of the Reading Well titles are available to borrow as e-books and audiobooks. Visit your local library website to find out how to join the library and access books electronically.

Impact

2.6 million Reading Well books have been borrowed from libraries and 91% of people surveyed found their book helpful.

There is a huge evidence base around the value of reading to support health and wellbeing, as well as the value of public libraries as a non-stigmatised space that is both welcoming and empowering for people seeking support.

Partners

Reading Well is delivered by The Reading Agency in partnership with Libraries Connected as part of the Libraries Connected Universal Health Offer. It is funded by Arts Council England, The Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport and Welsh Government.

The programme is supported by leading health experts, see our list of partners here.