Queen Camilla Champions Pop Duo's Initiative to Revive Child Reading Habits
In a bid to tackle a growing literacy crisis, Queen Camilla has thrown her support behind an unlikely collaboration featuring DJ AG and MC Grammar. Their new song, Pick Up A Book, aims to rekindle a love for reading among children, as alarming figures reveal only one in three young people now enjoy reading in their free time.
National Year of Reading Launched Amidst Declining Engagement
The Department for Education and the National Literacy Trust have designated 2026 as the National Year of Reading, responding to a stark 36% drop in reading enjoyment since 2005. According to the National Literacy Trust, this marks the lowest level in two decades for children and young people aged 8 to 18.
Despite classrooms and libraries being filled with books, screens have increasingly dominated daily life, a shift widely recognized by parents and educators. The Go All In campaign, a UK-wide effort backed by Queen Camilla, seeks to encourage people of all ages to rediscover the pleasure of reading.
Queen Camilla, who has served as patron of the National Literacy Trust since 2010, has long advocated for literacy through school visits and library tours. In 2021, she launched a lockdown book club that evolved into the Queen's Reading Room, a charity promoting storytelling on an international scale.
Intergenerational Song Aims to Inspire Young Readers
The Pick Up A Book song is spearheaded by children's author Laura Henry-Allain MBE, creator of the award-winning animation JoJo & Gran Gran. Motivated by firsthand observations of declining reading habits, Laura collaborated with DJ AG and MC Grammar to craft an intergenerational tune designed to engage children directly.
"As a child I always had a love of books, despite being dyslexic. I have fond memories of regular visits to my childhood library in North Kensington, where I would transport myself into the world in the book," Laura explains. "I love music too and writing the lyrics for Pick Up a Book brings together both of my passions."
Creative Process Involves Students and Music Academy
The song's inception followed a series of author visits last summer, where Laura sought a memorable way to conclude sessions. She partnered with Wendell Park Primary School in West London, leveraging their prior experience in songwriting for her book launch.
Through a competition organized with The Rhythm Studio Academy of Music, students were invited to compose the music. Ruth Gitau, a sixth-form student and composer, won the contest and assisted in recording the final track with the school choir.
"Co-composing and recording Pick Up A Book was such a fun experience! I tried to envision the children singing it whilst I made it, and it was so fun to watch the kids rap, sing and shout about reading books," Ruth said. "Reading is essential to learning about the world, and as a young child living vicariously through fictional characters, it taught me a lot about empathy and how to understand people around me better."
Role Models DJ AG and MC Grammar Lend Their Influence
Laura specifically selected DJ AG and MC Grammar for their impact on younger generations. "MC Grammar and DJ AG are great role models for children and are both doing great work with children and communities, on a global level," she noted. "They are very relatable to children, and both are super passionate about sharing the importance of reading in their work, this no doubt will inspire children to read and sustain good reading habits throughout their lives."
DJ AG, renowned for his street sets and community outreach, expressed enthusiasm for the project. "I was honoured to be asked to be involved in the Pick Up A Book song. I am super passionate about promoting reading to children. I hope children are inspired to pick up a book and read," he stated.
This initiative underscores a concerted effort to address the literacy gap through innovative and engaging methods, blending music with educational advocacy to foster a lifelong love of reading among the youth.
