The official kick-off will be on World Book Night (Sunday 23 April), when anyone who signs up will be invited to read their first 30 minutes of whichever book they fancy. The idea of the challenge is to see just what a difference regular reading can make to our lives, from the mental health benefits to helping us form connections with others. The charity notes that adults who read for just 30 minutes a week are 20% more likely to report greater life satisfaction, 52% more likely to feel socially included and 57% more likely to have better awareness of other cultures.

You’ll be able to log the books you read and fill in surveys for a national study into reading and happiness. If you don’t have a massive pile of books gathering dust, don’t worry – The Reading Agency will also be sharing recommended reads.

Fancy signing up? You can do so now through the World Book Night website.

Katie Piper, World Book Night Ambassador, said: “Just when you thought World Book Night couldn’t get any better! With the Road To Reading, The Reading Agency are not only inviting everyone to celebrate the power and pleasure of reading, but also they’re showing what an impact reading can have on each of us.

“Thirty minutes of reading a week can be done in any way you like: all in one sitting, on your commute, during your lunch break, just before switching off to bed. This World Book Night, the Reading Hour is the perfect time to kick off your journey towards a renewed love for reading.”

Karen Napier, CEO of The Reading Agency, added: “The Road To Reading has launched! This World Book Night initiative will be a valuable tool for those new to reading or getting back into the swing. We hope that we can sign up as many participants as possible to feed into the national study and give us valuable insight into how reading habits are formed.”

The Road To Reading challenge is like Couch to 5K but for getting back into books