Katherine Rundell

Katherine Rundell, author and Oxford scholar of English and children’s books, talks about the global fall in reading and why it matters. She describes tools she used to reclaim focus and how students and children are affected. She explores COVID, phones and social media as causes, the value of fiction for empathy, and practical fixes like stronger libraries and age protections online.

Katherine Rundell, a best-selling children's author known for her works like The Explorer, discusses the alarming decline in children's reading enjoyment in the UK. She argues that every school should have a library, emphasizing its role in cultivating literacy and tackling disinformation. Rundell also shares her views on the need for literacy-focused teacher training and explains her decision to donate royalties from her book to climate charities in light of political events. A compelling exploration of reading's importance and the intersection of education and social justice.