The Universal Reading Foundation’s Year in Review
The Power of Reading in Numbers and Impact
It was an exceptionally intensive and productive year. We launched numerous new initiatives, further developed our existing programmes and projects, and successfully brought together the experience and commitment of individuals, institutions, businesses, and the third sector. Our team also continued to grow and strengthen
We invite you to explore the key figures, major achievements, and most important milestones of 2025. We also extend our heartfelt thanks to all our Friends, Partners, Donors, and Allies for proving every day, together with us, that reading has the power to transform childhood, lives, and the world for the better.
In 2025, as a result of the Foundation’s activities and the engagement of its Partners:
258 000
4 000
20%
500
6500 +
76 000
Important dates and milestones
February
W 2025 w ramach Książek bez Granic wydaliśmy FPC published nine titles in the Bridges Series. The series was designed for readers for whom reading can be a challenge. Adults with neurodiverse conditions, such as those on the autism spectrum, individuals with dyslexia, or people with visual impairments, are often excluded from book culture due to the lack of appropriately designed publications.
W serii znalazły się nowe wersje takich klasyków literatury jak „Pan Tadeusz. Obrazki z Soplicowa” w autorskiej interpretacji Jarosława Kaczmarka czy „Duma i uprzedzenie. Nie wierzcie plotkom” opowiedziana na nowo przez Katarzynę Majger. Trzy tytuły serii zostały przetłumaczone i wydane również w języku niemieckim.
March
In March, the first Provincial Programme for the Development of Reading in Poland was launched in the Warmian-Masurian Voivodeship, developed in collaboration with FPC and the Reading Poland Coalition.
The programme aims to build effective mechanisms that invite non-readers into book culture. It envisions broad cooperation with doctors, teachers, social welfare centres, and businesses. The Provincial Public Library presented the programme in early April in Olsztyn during workshops that were part of the Coalition’s sessions.
April
As part of the Book on Prescription programme, we held our second conference dedicated to the impact of reading aloud on children’s health and development. Participants included paediatricians, specialists, and representatives from the medical community. The list of speakers featured international experts, including Professor Paul Wise from Stanford University, a specialist in health policy and paediatrics.
In total, in 2025, as part of the Book on Prescription project and through an initiative developed in cooperation with the Book Institute (online course: A Small Book – A Great Human: How to Support Children’s Development from the First Moments of Life) we trained 4,000 doctors, nurses, and midwives.
Informational materials, prescription pads introducing the recommendation of reading during medical visits, and book packages for children aged 0–36 months, published by FPC and the Federation of European Publishers, are now being distributed in 500 medical clinics across Poland.
May
In May during the sessions of the Committee on Culture, National Heritage, and Media in the Polish Parliament, Maria Deskur, President of the Universal Reading Foundation, presented the strategy for Reading Poland,in which reading is recognized as an essential tool for sustainable development.
In the same month, we launched an online course developed in collaboration with the Book Institute, aimed at midwives and medical personnel working with pregnant women. The training, entitled “A Small Book – A Great Human: How to Support Children’s Development from the First Moments of Life”, aimed to promote the practice of reading to children from birth. The course was completed by 2,000 nurses and midwives.
Also in May, the third edition of the nationwide #ReadingDad campaign was launched,encouraging men to read. The campaign was accompanied by a promotional spot featuring Wojciech and Marcin Mann.
A record 150 million impressions across television, print, radio, online media, and public spaces led to a tangible impact — 20% of parents reached by the campaign reported that it inspired them to start reading to their children.
June
On June 17, we held the third edition of the Literacy for Democracy conference.This year, the conference focused on the theme of safety.
Fifteen international experts from five countries and 200 participants engaged in lively debates on the impact of reading on information security, critical thinking, resilience to disinformation, and preparing societies to function in a rapidly changing, digitalized world, as well as on the economic dimension of literacy.
September
In September, the fifth edition of the nationwide programme for teachers and students, Reading Rescuers, was launched.
During the 2024/2025 school year, programme participants organized nearly 2,100 activities and events, attended by over 92,000 participants in institutions across Poland. The programme reached more than 150 towns and cities nationwide. The Reading Rescuers community now numbers nearly 12,000 engaged members, including teachers, librarians, and educators.
September also marked the launch of the Reading Pays Off campaign,aimed at helping teachers and parents cultivate children’s reading interests and provide financial education from the earliest stage of schooling.
As a result of the collaboration between FPC and Bank Pekao S.A., the book The Abduction of Mrs. Coin was created, written by the beloved children’s author Justyna Bednarek. An audiobook was also produced, masterfully narrated by Edyta Jungowska, an actress and performer of children’s stories.
As has become tradition, we invited guests to the Friends of the Universal Reading Foundation Eveningthis time held under the motto: Reading is a Good Habit!
During the event, we presented the Caryatids of Readership Awardsfor the fifth time — awards granted by the Foundation in recognition of outstanding contributions to promoting reading. On this evening, the “Feather” Award, presented by Biedronka for an outstanding children’s book, was also bestowed.
On September 25, in Zabrze, and with the support of our Foundation, the first Declaration of Cooperation in Poland was signed between the District Labour Office, the Municipal Office in Zabrze, and the City Library.
This represents a natural continuation and development of the Zabrze Declaration signed in 2024, in which Zabrze became the first city in Poland to commit to a truly holistic approach to promoting reading — across all municipal departments, including the implementation of reading workshops and training for municipal staff.
November
In November, the first European reading project led by the Universal Reading Foundation was launched. Celebrations for the European Authors’ Day, under the slogan Read. For Real! project , began on 11 November and continued until 12 December across Europe.
Thanks to the project, dozens of countries gained the opportunity to implement a multi-level strategy to promote reading across Europe. #ReadForReal continues the European Authors’ Day initiative launched by Creative Europe in 2023.
As part of the Read. For Real! project , we also organized the international #ReadForEurope workshops, where representatives from 15 countries worked together to develop a shared vision of a Europe in which reading is a natural part of everyday life for everyone.
The meetings laid a solid foundation for implementing practical, evidence-based solutions across European countries. Participants committed to integrating the jointly developed vision and behavioural approach into their national strategies and to incorporating them into activities related to the upcoming European Authors’ Day celebrations.
Also in November, Lublin became the heart of Polish reading for two days.Workshops organized as part of the Reading Poland Coalition, held for the ninth time, brought together representatives of institutions, non-governmental organizations, and businesses to collaboratively work on raising the level of reading in Poland. The event was inaugurated by Beata Stepaniuk Kuśmierzak, Vice President of Lublin.
On a daily basis, the Coalition develops strategies for fostering reading from the ground up — in medical clinics, nurseries, and families from birth, and then in kindergartens and schools, libraries and bookstores, as well as local governments and businesses.
December
The Universal Reading Foundation, with the support of the Ministry of National Education, launched a certified, innovative online course: I Read, Therefore I Think, Act, and Am a Citizen! — designed to support civic education, critical thinking, and resilience to disinformation.
The course is aimed at teachers, educators, childcare professionals, and students planning to work with children, as well as anyone who wishes to navigate today’s information landscape more effectively. The free training is available on the Navoica platform until June 2026.
In December, we also launched a fundraising campaign under the slogan: Give a Book This Christmas: Because Every Child Needs WingsThanks to the support of our donors and the involvement of Filia Publishing House, we were able to provide 1,200 books to children from families under the care of social welfare centres, single-mother homes, and community centres.
On December 2, we organized the third annual charity auction Art Against Exclusion. Thanks to the outstanding artists who donated their works and the great engagement of participants, we were able to allocate funds for books for children at risk of reading exclusion.
Throughout the Year
2025 also continued our collaboration with local governments — together with the Śródmieście District of Warsaw, we organized 23 reading events for 700 children as part of the Reading Rules programme . Participants had the opportunity to meet some of the most esteemed authors of Polish and international children’s literature.
Reading mornings and afternoons were open to young children with their caregivers, as well as organized groups of children and youth from community centres. These events aim to create positive experiences with books and reading through meetings with authors and illustrators, readings of excerpts, and creative and literary activities inspired by books and literary characters.
Throughout the year, we focused on reaching places where books are most needed and where reading exclusion poses a real threat.
In 2025, we supported libraries, institutions, and organizations by sending book packages. Our priority is to assist the children, families, and minority groups who need it most. As a Foundation, we strive to foster the psychological stability of the youngest by responding to crises affecting individuals and communities.
As part of the #DobraKsiążkaDobryPrezent campaign, we reminded, together with our partners, recipients, and readers, that giving a book as a gift is an opportunity to build home libraries — and owning books at home is extremely important, as research confirms.
These initiatives are open-ended — we invite everyone to join in at every opportunity in 2026!
Our actions and projects in 2025
had a tangible impact on:
Families and social relationships
Health and medical care
European cooperation
Civic education
Systemic change
Education and skills development
Business and labor market
Equal opportunities
In 2025, our team also grew — one of the most wonderful changes of the year. To Marynia, Grzegorz, Ola, Agnieszka, and Monika, we welcomed Magda, Kasia, Ola, Agnieszka, and Agata, who contribute every day with attention, responsibility, and genuine commitment. Together, this team carries our ideas from conception and planning all the way through to execution.
Our team consists of people who believe in the mission of FPC and put their hearts into their work. Each member brings something unique to the Foundation: experience, sensitivity, energy, and their own personal story. See who is behind FPC’s projects. Together, we work to achieve our mission and celebrate our shared successes.
Nomination for the ALMA Award
In 2025, for the second time, we were shortlisted for the prestigious Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award. This nomination is a tremendous honour and a strong motivation to continue our work promoting reading — that extraordinary “superpower” which transforms the world and shapes the future of children.
Universal Reading Foundation in the Media: Selected Highlights, 2025
Thank you!
All of this and much more was made possible thanks to the engagement of our Donors, Partners, Allies, and Friends of the Foundation. We thank everyone who contributed to our activities last year. Together, we show every day how reading can transform childhood, lives, and the world for the better.
In 2025, we were supported by:
