Newcastle Hospitals Charity and best-selling author Anna James launch sponsored reading initiative

Newcastle Hospitals Charity and New York Times No 1 best-selling children’s fantasy author, Anna James have teamed up to launch the School Sponsored Read programme to support The Great North Children’s Hospital (GNCH).

Running from 1 September until the end of term in December, the programme will offer the chance for pupils at Newcastle-based primary schools to read six different books. Free Anna James books provided to participating school libraries courtesy of Anna’s publisher HarperCollins Children’s Books. Families and friends can sponsor pupils, patients and their siblings to read all six books and raise funds for GNCH.

The charity’s aim is to encourage primary school age children to boost their reading confidence and improve their wellbeing while raising vital funds for life-changing research and cutting-edge equipment at the hospital, one of the largest of its kind in the UK.

Anna, originally from Northumberland but now living in London, is the author of books including the Pages & Co series, the Chronicles of Whetherwhy and Blackwell’s Children’s Book of the Year 2025, Alice With a Why. Her first adult novel, Read Me Like a Book, will publish in spring 2027.

Anna said: “As someone who grew up in the north-east it’s a pleasure and a privilege to work with Newcastle Hospitals Charity to raise money for such a vital cause while encouraging young people to read for pleasure, especially during the National Year of Reading.”

The project connects to the charity’s well-established reading initiatives, part of its arts programme such as ‘Storytelling’ in collaboration with Seven Stories and ‘Shared Reading’ in partnership with New Writing North.

Charity Head of Arts Programmes Katie Newell said “Reading helps to ignite imagination, offering moments of escapism and joy. This opportunity encourages young people to develop the habit of regular reading, supporting longer-term wellbeing as it is evidenced that reading throughout your life helps to reduce stress and supports greater emotional and social understanding.”

“We are so grateful to Anna and her publisher for inspiring young people with a fun challenge to help develop a passion for reading, something the charity has been committed to for many years.”

If you would like your school to take part, visit our website.