Woolly mammoths. Sabre-toothed tigers. The dodo. There is one species we can’t allow to end up on this list of vanishing creatures: the bookworm.
In a world where screen time dominates a dwindling attention economy, readers are in serious danger of becoming a dying breed. Recreational reading among children and teenagers in the UK has fallen to its lowest point in two decades, with just one-third of eight- to 18-year-olds saying they enjoy reading in their free time – a 36 per cent decline since 2005. Adults are not much better: only around half of us regularly pick up a book, and even fewer parents like to read to their young kids.
But there are abundant benefits to reading. Young people who get into the habit of reading in early childhood are more likely to achieve high qualifications and upward social mobility later on; they’re more able to build empathy, develop their creativity and spark their imagination. Reading even makes you happier.
Fortunately, in 2026, the fightback has begun. This year, a major nationwide campaign is inviting people to fall back in love with reading. A Department for Education initiative, the National Year of Reading is supported by more than 60 partners, including literary sector charities, funders and pledge partners. Library cards for newborns; 72,000 new books distributed to those who need them most; a £27.5m package for libraries; libraries in Suffolk are even offering an amnesty for 15,000 overdue library books. It’s all about putting a stop to the bookworm extinction. Also working hard to promote the power of books is the Queen’s Reading Room charity, which celebrates its fifth anniversary this year and connects over 186,000 book enthusiasts across more than 180 countries.
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And yet for all the benefits of reading, sometimes life just gets in the way. But there are several tips and tricks to help you stay on track with your TBR pile. And who better to advise than some of the world’s leading authors and biggest bookworms?
Not sure where to begin? Helen Fielding, creator of Bridget Jones, recommends prioritising pleasure when it comes to reading (Getty)
Ian McEwan
If you think you’re not reading enough, start with a novella, that entrancing form, short enough to hold you, not long enough to overwhelm you. Instead of a list, here’s one: Reunion by Fred Uhlmann.
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Helen Fielding
Don’t google the Beckhams! Or do online shopping or look at your screens. Being hooked by a good book is like nothing else. You have to use your own imagination to do the things that video games, TV, movies and memes do. You have to make all the sights, sounds, smells and effects with your own mind. That’s what makes reading so absorbing, restful and good for the soul.
On that note, don’t read anything where you’re forcing yourself because it’s so heavy going. I ruined my love of Dickens for years by forcing myself to read Bleak House in two days at college because I’d failed to do my summer reading list. Read the books you enjoy – and mix in some classics. They’ve stood the test of time for a reason. And the stories can be even more complex and seductive than the Beckhams.
Salman Rushdie
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Reading is a habit. You need to form the habit. Pick a convenient time of day and pick up a book at that time for 15 minutes. Do it every day for a couple of weeks and hopefully you’ll catch the bug. Oh, and make sure it’s a book you enjoy. If you find you’re not enjoying it, discard it and try another one. The book doesn’t matter. The pleasure does.
All it takes is 15 minutes a day to form a habit, says Salman Rushdie (AP)
Andrew Miller
Top tip: a comfy reading chair by a good light, and with a little table for your tea and glasses. You might also wish to invest in an elegant reading robe (or two: one for summer, one for winter).
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Kate Mosse
Trust your instincts – reading should be fun, nourishing, life-enhancing, brain-expanding, so if a book isn’t speaking to you, put it aside and try something else. It doesn’t matter. A story that isn’t to your taste now will still be waiting for you when the time is right. Enjoyment is everything.
Ian Rankin
Carve out some time, put down your phone, leave a book in a strategic spot – sofa, bedside, bathroom – and pick it up rather than your device!
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McFly star and bestselling children’s author Tom Fletcher listens to audiobooks with his family during car journeys (Getty)
Tessa Hadley
Don’t ever think of reading as a duty. It’s a pure pleasure. Don’t wait till bedtime. Turn your phone off or leave it in another room. Make a cup of tea or pour a glass of wine (a small glass, you need to stay sharp), remove your shoes. Curl up in a comfortable armchair or on a sofa. Exit all the smallness of your life, move through the portal of your books into other worlds, other ways of seeing and thinking and feeling…
Tom Fletcher
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Reading doesn’t only include traditional books. Stories live in song lyrics, comics and graphic novels – and audiobooks are a brilliant way to listen on the go. Follow your curiosity, read what excites you and explore your interests, not what you think you should be reading, and shift your mindset about what counts. For example, listening to audiobooks during a car journey is a fun way for families to read books together when the calendar is packed.
Jeanette Winterson
If there is any book you really loved… read it again! Then ask a friend for something they have enjoyed. Read that! Then choose something for yourself… Meanwhile, a short poem every day is like an espresso shot in the morning or a nightcap at bedtime. Try that too!
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‘Normal People’ star Daisy Edgar-Jones hops aboard the reading train ahead of her role in the new adaptation of Jane Austen’s ‘Sense and Sensibility’ (Instagram/Daisy Edgar-Jones)
Malorie Blackman
Read for pleasure with the emphasis on pleasure. Read what you love, what you care about, what challenges you, makes you think, makes you laugh or cry or feel. If you want to read graphic novels, books about hobbies or listen to audiobooks, then go for it. And enjoy!
David Mitchell
Keep a small fancy notebook on your bookshelf. On 1 January, write the name of the year – just “2026”. Every time you finish a book, write its ordinal number – 1st, 2nd, 3rd… 50th, etc. Do a deal with yourself – every year, you’ll finish more books than last year. You’re allowed to balance out a 900-page Dawn of Everything with a slim novella by Clare Keegan.
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Also, as you read, keep a pen close by. (A pencil is better but who carries pencils around?) Whenever you encounter something that you don’t want to forget, put a dot at the top of the page. Put another dot in the margin next to the line where the non-discardable something occurs. When you’ve finished the book, go through the book, looking out for the dots at the tops of pages; transcribe the “dotted somethings” into another notebook. By hand, with a fountain pen. Revisit them from time to time. If you know the author or can reach them on social media, share a few of your favourite dots. Trust me, it will enhance or even transform their day.
Lastly, when tempted to kill an hour on YouTube or a mediocre documentary on Netflix, remember that you will wish you could get those wasted 60 minutes back. Spend that same hour with a good book and you’ll feel mentally richer, less alone, smarter and that bit wiser.
The National Year of Reading campaign enters a troubling time for books, with literacy rates either stalling or declining across the Western world (Getty/iStock)
Elif Shafak
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Books are our beloved companions. I think it’s so important that we see reading as a continuous journey where we learn new things every day, sail to new horizons. When we dive into a novel, for a few days or weeks, we become someone else, we transcend the borders of the “self” and see the world through another person’s eyes, feel what they feel. We empathise with their sorrows, their joys, their dreams. Literature dismantles the duality of “us” versus “them”. This is a humbling exercise for the mind, for the soul.
Let’s read anything and everything that speaks to us – from cookbooks to political philosophy to literary fiction. I have never believed in that distinction between “highbrow literature” and “lowbrow literature”. Instead, let’s keep the curiosity of the mind alive and thriving. Let’s be intellectual nomads, constantly searching. That requires reading widely, both fiction and non-fiction. Across the board. If we are reading only one type of genre, or the same kind of books, it means we are not leaving our comfort zones. I find it very important that our reading lists be eclectic, diverse, connecting with multiple cultures, backgrounds, and traditions of storytelling.
As per Tessa Hadley’s advice, pour yourself a glass of wine (a small glass, you need to stay sharp) and dig in (Alamy/PA)
Tim Bouverie
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The best tip for reading more is to read great books by amazing authors – Austen, Dickens, Tolstoy, Waugh, Hemingway, etc. But having a dedicated reading time, such as before bed, or commuting to work – any time when you can ignore your telephone and concentrate – can also help. Smartphones are addictive and unwholesome. Reading, when pursued with energy and dedication, is addictive and wholesome.
Adam Weymouth
I’ve had some reading droughts since becoming a parent. Thrillers are often my way back: something inches thick with a hundred chapters. I can devour one in a fraction of the time it takes me to get through something more literary, and by the time I’m done, I’m back in the habit. Robert Ludlum is a particular favourite.
Robin Stevens
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The most important thing to me as an author and reader is the concept of fun. A book is a story – it’s entertainment – and I believe you should be looking for the kind of entertainment that truly makes your heart sing. What fun means to you is entirely personal, and nothing to do with how objectively pleasant a story might be (my own favourite genre revolves around at least one person being violently murdered), but as far as I’m concerned, that’s the only metric you should be judging your reading on.
The Galaxy A57 has a 6.7-inch screen, which is larger than what you get on Apple’s mid-range smartphone, the iPhone 17e.
Aside from the skinnier bezels, the biggest change this year is the increase in screen brightness. The A57’s screen is 58 per cent brighter, with Samsung bumping it up to 1,900 nits (the unit of brightness) versus last year’s 1,200 nits. This made a big difference in my demo session, with no impact on visibility underneath the bright overhead lights.
I wasn’t able to fully test the screen quality, but at first glance, it seems there’s a lot to like here. It’s a large screen that’s colourful and vibrant, and I can’t say I noticed much of a difference compared to the display on the much more expensive Galaxy S26.
There’s plenty of power
The important thing about buying a mid-range smartphone (apart from saving money) is that you hit the key specifications. That’s one thing the Galaxy A series has always been good at: it’s a cheaper Samsung handset, but it does much the same as the flagship model.
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It’s powered by a less powerful chip than the Galaxy S26, but there’s a sizeable upgrade over the 2025 model, with a boost to gaming performance. It’s going to be better at playing mobile games, and it should be able to handle more power-hungry tasks, thanks to a better vapour chamber to keep the phone cool.
There’s a 5,000mAh battery, which is a fairly average capacity these days, although the charging speeds have been increased, with Samsung saying that it can charge to 60 per cent in just 30 minutes.
There’s a triple camera on the back, which promises smoother transitions between lenses, but I didn’t get to test them to any great degree.
Riley Cameron was just eight years old when he was diagnosed with acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) after a week of feeling unwell and several healthcare visits.
He died less than a week later in Leeds St James Hospital in July 2008.
Riley Cameron who died of acute myeloid leukaemia when he was just eight. Photo: Family
His mum, Rachel, described him as “a very loving and caring boy”, who loved cuddles, cars, and being a big brother to his sister Rianna.
After years of fundraising for Blood Cancer UK, raising almost £50,000, Rachel wanted to begin fundraising for childhood cancer-specific research.
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In 2020, she set up The Riley Cameron Forget Me Not Fund at CCLG: The Children & Young People’s Cancer Association, to raise money for research into childhood AML.
Rachel said: “I just want to help other families that are going through what is the scariest time of their lives. If I can help just a little bit, then that means the world to me.
“I know this is what Riley would do if he were still with us.”
Riley’s fund has now raised more than £30,000 and has been able to support CCLG in funding two new leukaemia research projects.
The projects will use cancer samples from VIVO biobank, which stores childhood cancer tumours and blood samples for use in research.
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Riley with his dad Neil. Photo: Family
Rachel said: “These projects mean so much to me and my family – they are a huge step in the right direction to finding better treatments for AML.
“I feel very proud of the work that the researchers are doing, and it is an honour to be part of such an amazing charity.”
She hopes the research will give families going through a leukaemia diagnosis a more positive outlook for their child’s future.
The two new projects hope to support the development of better and safer treatments for AML and are being led by Dr Katrina Lappin, at Queen’s University Belfast, and Dr Sophie Kellaway, at the University of Nottingham.
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Dr Kellaway’s research is exploring whether an asthma medicine, which is already used for children, could be repurposed into the first relapse specific treatment for AML.
She said: “At the moment, there are no specific treatments to stop AML growing back and treatment after a relapse is often incredibly difficult.
“We know that the asthma drug we are testing can stop the relapse-causing AML cells from growing – but we think it might also be able to get rid of them completely.”
Dr Kellaway said the drug has minimal side effects, which could be game-changing for children, as existing treatments often cause serious life-long health problems.
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Dr Lappin’s research aims to develop a better way to test treatments for AML, with a focus on combinations of immunotherapy and chemotherapy.
She said: “By creating a more accurate and cost-effective way to test treatments, this research could help bring safer, more effective treatments to children faster.”
Dr Sarah Evans, CCLG’s head of research, said: “We are delighted to fund these two projects, made possible by our brilliant Special Named Fund families. Developing kinder, more effective treatments for cancers such as AML is one of our top priorities. Every child deserves not only a cure, but the chance to live a long, healthy and happy life after cancer.”
Professor Deborah Tweddle, director of VIVO Biobank, said: “We are once again delighted to work alongside CCLG in supporting these pilot studies and providing samples for these exciting research projects.”
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Rachel thanked the fund’s ‘amazing’ and said she hopes to continue her fundraising to enable further innovative research.
The presenter shared helpful property buying advice including warning signs about electrical problems and damp issues
Dan Laurie Deputy Editor of Screen Time
12:07, 25 Mar 2026
A Homes Under the Hammer presenter has offered valuable advice for prospective property purchasers.
Martin Roberts featured on BBC‘s Morning Live on Wednesday (March 25) to discuss the forthcoming celebrity special of the beloved BBC programme, scheduled for Easter.
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Hosts Helen Skelton and Rav Wilding were eager to extract any guidance the specialist could provide for viewers at home.
Martin revealed: “One of the big things is when people try and cover up stuff.
“So a simple one is sometimes you look at the electrical light switches and the sockets and they look relatively new but then you look at the fuse board and it’s a really ancient.”, reports the Mirror.
“Sometimes they have old cartridge fuses and you think somebody’s trying to cover up the fact the electrics are really old.”
He added: “Sometimes you notice there’s a fresh smell of paint and you might think that’s a good thing but sometimes people try to cover up damp by covering up the mould with a fresh coat of emulsion.
“For a few days, or weeks perhaps, it will look okay but actually the point is the paint will never dry out because it’s still damp.
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“If you just get that feeling that people are trying to just pull the wool over your eyes then that should set alarm bells ringing.”
Martin has been a fixture of the Homes Under the Hammer team since its debut in 2003, assisting countless homeowners throughout his tenure.
Discussing the secret to the programme’s 23-year longevity, the former I’m a Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! contestant explained: “Well, it’s a combination. It’s aspirational, it’s inspirational and it’s also achievable.
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“There are other shows which show incredible houses built on cliff tops but we look at two up, two down terraces and that’s one of the appeals.
“And of course, there’s all the other things, like the music and the silliness and fun we have.”
Morning Live airs weekdays at 9.30am and Home Under The Hammer airs weekdays at 11.15am on BBC One and BBC iPlayer
The second series of The Pitt began airing in the US in January 2026, and it’s now set to premiere in the UK, along with the complete first series, as HBO Max launches on 26 March.
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This procedural drama stars ER icon Noah Wyle as Dr Michael “Robby” Robinavitch, a senior attending physician at the fictional Pittsburgh Trauma Medical Centre.
The series has garnered critical acclaim and has been lauded by the medical community for its accuracy.
Having won numerous awards, including five at the 77th Primetime Emmys, the show is anticipated to be a massive hit in the UK. Here’s everything you need to know about series two.
The first series comprises 15 episodes, with each episode title reflecting the hour of the day, starting with ‘7am’.
Upon its US release, the first two episodes were broadcast simultaneously, with the remaining episodes aired weekly.
Series two also consists of 15 episodes, with the first 11 already aired in the US.
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This time, the premiere included only one episode, with subsequent episodes released weekly.
When the series arrives in the UK, fans will have access to the entire first series all at once, with episodes from series two being released weekly from 26 March.
When are new episodes of The Pitt released?
For enthusiasts in the UK, new episodes will continue to be broadcast weekly on Thursdays, aligning with the US schedule.
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Given that most of the second season has already premiered in the US, it might prove challenging for UK fans to dodge spoilers.
How to watch The Pitt in the UK
Get HBO Max free with Sky
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Sky is giving away free subscriptions to HBO Max with its Ultimate TV bundle, which also includes Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, Hayu, and around 135 channels at no extra cost.
To view The Pitt, audiences will require an HBO Max subscription, with plans for the streaming service commencing at £4.99 per month.
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Subscriptions will be available from 26 March, coinciding with the platform’s launch.
The standard HBO Max tier, which excludes advertisements, is priced at £9.99 per month and includes full HD streaming on two devices along with 30 downloads.
The premium tier is set at £14.99 per month and offers 4K Ultra HD, Dolby Atmos and four concurrent streams.
The Pitt season 2 will air on a weekly basis on HBO Max
The Middleham Open Day takes place in one of Britain’s most celebrated racing towns, with nine leading training yards set to welcome guests from 9:30am on Good Friday, April 3.
Visitors will get the chance to meet unbeaten Classic contender Crown Relic and multiple Group 1 winner Fallen Angel, among other racing stars.
Dawn Goodfellow, chief executive of Racing Welfare, said: “Middleham Open Day is one of the most special days in our calendar.
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“It gives people a genuine insight into life behind the stable doors, while celebrating the dedication, skill and community that define this town.
“The success of this year’s employee award winners shows just how strong that community is.”
Karl Burke’s Spigot Lodge will offer a close-up look at Crown Relic, Fallen Angel, and Royal Champion, who has earned nearly £2.4 million in prize money.
At Charlie Johnston Racing, visitors can watch horse swimming demonstrations from 9:45am, take part in a live Q&A, and meet horses such as Venetian Lace—entered in both the English and Irish Guineas—alongside Epsom Derby runner-up Lazy Griff.
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The Middleham Marketplace opens at 9am with trade stands and a traditional hounds parade, before entertainment begins on Low Moor at 11:30am.
The afternoon activities include Retraining of Racehorses Showing classes, family-friendly events, and a parade from 1pm by Lady Buttons, the popular ‘Queen of the North’, in the main arena with owner Jennie.
The inter-yard Challenge starts at 2:15pm, followed by the Aiskew Equine and Pet Supplies Dog Show at 3pm.
The day also celebrates the people behind the sport, including recent winners of the 2026 Thoroughbred Industry Employee Awards from Middleham.
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Among them are Kieran Kourdache of Karl Burke Racing, who was named Rider/Racing Groom Award winner and Overall Employee of the Year; Freddie Wilks of Charlie Johnston Racing, who took the Newcomer Award; and Hayley Clements of Micky Hammond Racing, who received the Community Award.
All proceeds from the day support Racing Welfare, the industry’s only charity that helps racing workers and their families.
The charity offers confidential assistance with health, housing, finances, careers, and more.
Ms Goodfellow said: “Every ticket sold helps us continue to support racing’s people when they need it most.”
It helped that this was very much an informal show. There was a pleasingly homespun feel to things, with Blake remixing his songs live on stage, getting the beat wrong on the kick drum (and pausing to laugh), and spinning out the intros to various tracks into experimental, fascinatingly varied segues — all that, in between idly chatting to the audience, putting down his own guitar-playing skills and telling himself to “do his job.”
Diana Henry is the Telegraph’s much-loved cookery writer. She shares recipes each week, for everything from speedy family dinners to special menus that friends will remember for months. She is also a regular broadcaster on BBC Radio 4, and her journalism and recipe books, including Simple and How to Eat a Peach, are multi-award-winning. A mother of two sons, Diana can satisfy even the fussiest of eaters.
40-year-old Tabitha Kay Willow, who may also be accompanied by a guide dog, has not been seen or heard from in weeks despite extensive enquiries.
Police are searching for a vulnerable woman who is missing from Thurso.
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Tabitha Kay Willow, 40, was reported missing in February 2026, but was last confirmed to have been seen weeks earlier.
Despite extensive enquiries, officers have so far been unable to trace her, and say nobody known to them has been in touch with her since she was last sighted.
Tabitha, who also uses the name Mae Jenkins, is fully mobile and can walk unaided, although she sometimes uses a wheelchair. She may also be accompanied by a guide dog, though no description of the animal is available.
She is believed to speak with an English accent and has a distinctive tattoo of three bats on her right wrist.
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Anyone who may have seen her, or who has information about her whereabouts, is urged to come forward. Even the smallest detail could prove crucial in helping trace her and ensure she is safe.
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Information can be passed to police by calling 101, quoting incident reference PS-20260319-2375, or via the Police Scotland website.
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They called for a more robust change in the culture that leads to violence against women and girls
The city of Derry has been brought to a standstill after the murder of young mum-of-two Amy Doherty.
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Amy, 28, was found injured in a house in the Summer Meadows Mews area of the city on Saturday morning, 21 March. She was taken to hospital where she later died.
Shockwaves have been sent through the city, and representatives have spoken out against the dangers that women face.
“From the outpouring of love following her death, it is clear how special she was and the positive impact she had on so many lives in our city.
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“It is unimaginable that her two young children will now grow up without their mother.
“Our city is hurting following Amy’s death.
“The loss of a young woman in such circumstances has rightly made people angry and has once again brought into sharp focus our failure to deal with the scourge of violence against women and girls.
“We need to see a societal response to violence against women and girls, starting with conversations in our homes, schools and workplaces with family and friends.
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“We also need proper investment in prevention, support for victims of abuse, and a justice system that supports victims rather than discouraging them from coming forward.
“The lives of Amy’s loved ones have been changed forever and we have a responsibility to confront these issues head on, challenge misogyny wherever it exists and work to eliminate violence against women and girls from our society so that no other family has to endure such a devastating loss.”
She said: “There is widespread shock and devastation across the city to learn that police have launched a murder inquiry after a woman was found dead in the Summer Meadow Mews area of the city.
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“Our heartfelt thoughts are with this woman’s loved ones as they face the unimaginable loss which this horrific crime has brought upon them.
“A young woman’s life was taken in the latest act of violence against women and girls and I appeal to anyone with information to bring it forward to the PSNI.
“The Executive’s Strategic Framework to End Violence Against Women and Girls sets out how it aims to tackle this scourge in our society.
“But we must all do more to confront the causes and cultures behind this violence and to do everything possible to bring the harm and abuse of women to an end.”
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A vigil has also been organised for Friday, March 27 at 7pm at the Guildhall to remember Amy and the lives of other women killed across Northern Ireland.
Coco Gauff admitted she still battles with imposter syndrome after overcoming Belinda Bencic to reach the Miami Open semi-finals for the first time.
The 22-year-old two-time Grand Slam champion is the youngest American to reach the women’s singles semi-finals at the tournament since Serena Williams in 2004 – the year Gauff was born.
Gauff, ranked fourth in the world, won four straight games after conceding a break of serve in the deciding set to close out a 6-3 1-6 6-3 victory in two hours and 15 minutes.
If Gauff reaches the final, she will overtake former world number one Iga Swiatek and move to third in the WTA rankings next week.
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But following her win over Swiss 12th seed Bencic she said that she is still learning “to believe that I belong where I am”.
“I think sometimes I can get imposter syndrome and, even when they are saying my accomplishments when I walk on or during the warm-up, it doesn’t feel like me and I’m like, ‘oh, actually, you do have a good career’,” said Gauff.
“But it doesn’t feel like that sometimes. When you’re working on things, and especially with my serve, it just feels like I shouldn’t be where I am. But tennis doesn’t lie, the ball doesn’t lie, so I just have to believe myself.
“My coach has been reminding me – remember who you are, you’re a good player. They’ve been putting that into my head. At moments, I believe in it, and other moments, I don’t. I’m just trying to believe in it more.”
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