'Power Of Reading' As Book Week Launches

Getting lost in a good book can be good for your health.

That is the message from the organisers of Book Week Scotland, which is launching today.

Hundreds of activities and events are taking place up and down the country - including in Fife - and over 3-hundred-thousand books are being given away for free.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “The huge personal benefits in health and wellbeing that flow from spending just a short time each day lost within a book are now widely documented and understood. But it seems that people still remain to be convinced. Can a book really transform the way we feel? Can it lighten your mood, ensure a better night’s sleep, steal away loneliness?

"This year we are challenging Scots from all walks of life to try this miracle cure out for themselves – and to share their stories and results with us in a celebration of all the things books and reading can do.
 
“This challenge sits at the centre of Book Week Scotland, but the full programme is many and varied, and offers something for everyone on a national basis. For example we will be working in parallel with Scottish Adult Learners Week to further explore and celebrate books’ capacity to effect real, long-lasting change in people’s lives. This exciting association will include an award recognising learners’ achievements in reading.