How giving a book can open up the world

READING opened wide world portals for me in my own childhood.

It allowed my imagination to soar and to travel to places beyond whatever situation I found myself in. Reading is a great equaliser- it inspires us to meet our fellow humans, to understand, empathise and enter landscapes we could never dream of experiencing in one lifetime.

Reading contributes to a better quality of life, impacts on our health, spirit, educational opportunities… it connects us to each other and our own humanity.

I have seen first-hand – through working with refugee children forced to travel and surviving alone, without family – what a transformational impact escaping into a book can have in helping them to keep hope alive in unimaginably unstable situations. To hear a child laugh in these harsh circumstances is life affirming. It is out of this instinct that I created a magical story hive in my book Where The River Runs Gold, where the children take refuge whenever they need.

However, for millions of children across the globe, especially those displaced and living in war-torn countries, access to this story hive of books is closed to them.

I want every child to be able to reach for that book that brings them light. That’s why this World Book Day (Thursday 5th March) I’m supporting Book Aid International. Their fundraising efforts mean more children and young people will have access to books.

Every day I’m inspired by the stories children have to tell and being a part of World Book Day means we can spread the enjoyment of reading even further.

Just £2 helps send another book, giving children the opportunity to read, learn and have fun. The Book Aid International website (www. bookaid.org) has plenty of exciting World Book Day fundraising ideas. Whether you host a Big Booky Breaktime, have a sponsored ReadA-Thon or run your own event, it will have a positive effect.

Sita Brahmachari

Author, Brixton