TikTok is joining forces with the National Literacy Trust (NLT) to “BookTok bookshelves” in UK cities lacking in literary provision. These areas include 11 cities like Birmingham, Blackpool, Bradford, Doncaster, Manchester, Middlesborough, Newcastle, Nottingham, Peterborough, Stoke and Swindon that will get 20 BookTok Bookshelves starting with around 100 books each.
TikTok will fund the initiative, and NLT youth volunteers will choose titles for the bookshelves. NLT plans to hire and train around 50 youth volunteers from 20 communities for the initiative. The shelves will be located in places with a high footfall of over-13s, such as youth clubs and community centres.
Ali Law, TikTok’s director of public policy and government affairs, UK and Ireland, said:
“TikTok is proud to be working with the NLT to harness the appeal of TikTok and its ability to connect and inspire young people, to motivate reading for pleasure, striving to boost literacy levels by increasing access to books across the UK.”
Recent NLT research found that one in 12 children aged 5-18 do not own a book of their own, and less than three in 10 children aged 8-18 read daily. Jason Vit, head of local areas for the NLT said:
“As a charity, we strive to boost literacy levels across the UK, particularly in our most disadvantaged communities, by increasing access to books and reaching people where they are – and in a way that feels meaningful to them.”
Recently, BookTok – the corner of TikTok in which users share book recommendations – is considered as a driving force behind surging book sales in some genres and encouraging young people to read more.
NLT aims for each bookshelf to focus on a range of different themes and interests. The first bookshelf in Nottingham will have titles from homegrown and international author talent, like Neil Gaiman, Malorie Blackman, Holly Jackson, Hafsah Faizal, and Alice Oseman.
This initiative by NLT and TikTok focuses on young people who struggle to access books for financial or other reasons. They struggle to borrow books, share them with friends, and return to the bookshelves for others. This collaboration will help address these issues.
“We hope the BookTok Bookshelves will increase young people’s appetite for reading and therefore the demand for books, forming part of a reading ecosystem that includes schools, libraries and bookshops.”
Navkiran Dhaliwal is a seasoned content writer with 10+ years of experience. When she's not writing, she can be found cooking up a storm or spending time with her dog, Rain.