In his concluding lecture as children’s laureate, delivered at the Royal Institution, acclaimed author and screenwriter Frank Cottrell-Boyce passionately argued that children’s reading should be universally recognized as a fundamental “right,” rather than solely a parental obligation. Cottrell-Boyce emphasized that Britain is currently overlooking the profound emotional and social significance of reading, a concern heightened by recent research indicating a steep drop in the frequency of shared reading experiences at home.
Addressing the audience at the Royal Institution during his final laureate lecture, titled “The Kids Are Not Alright,” the author drew a direct correlation between declining rates of shared reading and significant societal issues such as poverty, housing instability, and the pervasive influence of social media.