Kazimiera came to Manchester three years ago from Poland with her three children, following her husband and their father, who was already working here. She began taking ESOL English lessons at Stockport College in order to improve her spoken and written English.

"It was my ESOL lecturer Joanne Shepherd, who is a great teacher, who encouraged us to read books," she explains. "Then the librarian Lynsey Smith told my class about the Six Book Challenge," says Kazimiera. "I thought it was a good idea, but I was a bit nervous, because I had read books before in English, but only elementary ones. I thought that I must start reading books at a more intermediate level. It was good for me, it motivated me."

"The first book was not easy," admits Kazimiera. "I had to keep looking new words up in an English dictionary. But bit by bit my grammar improved. When I am reading I want to relax. I read books that I thought I would enjoy, all romance books! My favourite book which I read for the Six Book Challenge was a romance book set in the Lake District -- this is an area that is very beautiful and I would love to visit it on holiday."

Kazimiera successfully completed the Six Book Challenge just before taking her English exams in June. "I was happy, but I have still continued to read books, because I like
reading," she says. "I am now more confident, and my English is improving. Doing the Six Book Challenge was really good preparation for the English reading and writing exams I have just taken. I think it was a really important exercise for everyone who did it."

Jackie explains: "I've been running the Challenge at HMP Low Newton this year alongside a reading group. I have found the women particularly enjoy reading books that feature heavily in the media. We were lucky enough to receive the Orange Prize shortlist and they proved very popular with the women writing about them in their Six Book Challenge diaries. We are currently reading books from Channel Four Summer Reads book club and we've also tried plays such as Pygmalion. Some of the women struggle with literacy and we find the right books for them. One lady likes trains. Another with poor concentration has enjoyed lots of the Quick Reads."

Governor Alan Richer has commented: "I am very pleased that Low Newton has won this award. The Six Book Challenge has been a real success in encouraging women offenders to read and express themselves. A lot of credit for creating such a positive enthusiasm for reading must go to the library staff and of course the readers themselves who have joined in so enthusiastically with the challenge".

And the prison library's work is also supported by Tamara Ross, Head of Learning and Skills: "I am thrilled that Low Newton has won this award. It recognises the positive relationships between staff and those we care for. The women involved have grown in confidence, motivation and knowledge thus demonstrating the importance of reading. "

"Reading is food for the brain," says Tom Wilson, director of unionlearn. "It is the key unlocking the door to a better world. Reading makes life more fun and more sociable; it helps people get on at work; it helps people understand the world and control their lives. That's why unions want to help working people become more confident readers and why we are glad to support The Reading Agency's Six Book Challenge."

Six Book Challenge at Work showcases use of the scheme at Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Warburtons in Stockton and Newburn, Tameside Council, Transport for London, Fabrick Housing Group in Middlesbrough and McVitie's in Stockport. Each case study demonstrates how the Challenge brings improved skills, communication and motivation to a workforce. The booklet also outlines how the Communication Workers Union are building on the Six Book Challenge to link reading and learning throughout the year with a range of practical approaches.

The Reading Agency is signing a Memorandum of Understanding with unionlearn at today's conference. "It's always brilliant when you find someone who really 'gets' and supports your work. Working with unionlearn has been like that," says Miranda McKearney, director of The Reading Agency.

This year The Reading Agency has worked with the Campaign for Learning and Transworld Publishers to provide a prize draw to workplaces running both the Six Book Challenge and Learning at Work Day activities. Winner Royal Bolton Hospital will be provided with a visit from top US crimewriter Tess Gerritsen at an event for staff in August.

Here are the links to the relevant forms:

Public libraries running the Six Book Challenge

Learning providers running the Six Book Challenge

Prisons and YOIs running the Six Book Challenge

Workplaces running the Six Book Challenge

Tutors - for views from individual tutors whose learners have taken part in the Challenge

And do also encourage your Challenge participants to complete the post-Challenge survey - follow this link or email us for a printable version. We'd be delighted if you have time to upload information from participants' printed forms. If you do so, here's some guidance if it proves difficult to fill in more than one form -
Open Internet Explorer
Go to Tools
Then Internet Options
On the General Tab under Browsing History click the Delete button.
Then click Delete Cookies
When asked if you are sure click Yes
If you continue to have problems, please contact dean.redmond@readingagency.org.uk

• A national prize draw for Challenge completers within the main target audience to win an expenses-paid weekend trip to London. The prize, for the winner and a guest, includes two tickets to a West End show, overnight accommodation at a London hotel, travel expenses and spending money of £150.

• A national prize draw for prisons and YOIs where a minimum of 10 people have taken part in the Challenge. The prize will be an author visit for the winning institution.

• A national prize draw for workplaces offered in association with the Campaign for Learning and Transworld Publishers - see more. Please note change of entry requirement!

We also need to receive evaluation data from all library services, learning providers, prisons and workplaces who have been running the Six Book Challenge over the last few months by Wednesday 7 July Please see links to the relevant forms. All those who meet this deadline will be entered into a prize draw for new books received from publishers through our Reading Partners scheme. We will also be chasing you by telephone! It's so important to get this data so that we can feed key headlines back to you to support your case for running the Six Book Challenge again next year.

The first Suffolk County Council employee to have completed their Six Book Challenge is Christine Hancock, Commissioner for Adult Services. Christine completed her challenge by reading a wide selection from the Quick Reads books and rated her enjoyment of taking part as 5 out of 5. She said "I wanted to do this as I'm very keen to encourage my grandchildren with their reading. I hope they will join in with the Summer Reading Challenge this year, so it's important that they see me reading too."

Christine explains: "When I came to sign up I saw the display of Quick Reads - I was really impressed with their variety and as I'm so busy I thought they would be ideal. They are also in a good format for anyone with dyslexia which has relevance for me. The Traitor in the Tower was a fascinating insight - it was so easy to order a beheading in England back then! Dragons' Den made me think about different styles of leadership and communication. The Perfect Murder has an excellent plot and a good ending that I didn't see coming. 101 Ways to get Your Child to Read had some excellent ideas on how to support and encourage both of my grandchildren. Doing the Six Book Challenge has challenged me to read more and I will try to keep the momentum up."

Suffolk Reads co-ordinator Tracy Bose has also set up a Big Quick Read for the county using Bernardine Evaristo's Hello Mum building on the success of a similar exercise with John Boyne's The Dare in 2009. Bernardine is making a couple of visits to Suffolk and local people have recorded individual chapters of her book - see website for the latest news.

Ann Jayakody
L 1