One GIANT Read!

An exciting new reading initiative went live back in December in time for Astronaut Tim Peake’s stay on the International Space Station.

Created by charity Literature Works, in partnership with the RNIB and the UK Space Agency, and supported by Gollancz, The Poetry Archive and the Plymouth Literature Project at Plymouth University, the project offers easy to access reading materials (audio books, poems, interviews and short films) all with content themed around the Principia Mission and British Astronaut Tim Peake’s stay on the International Space Station.

The site brings film, audio books and recordings of writing, poetry and scientific commentary in order to be as accessible to as many readers as possible. With only 7% of all readable materials in formats accessible for blind people, the One Giant Read project is working with the RNIB to develop materials that will be as accessible as possible to their members.  The initiative aims to raise funds to enable Literature Works and RNIB to develop more reading and writing initiatives, with 40p of every £1 donated to go directly to RNIB in support of their work.

For every month Tim circles the Earth, the One Giant Read website offers a series of themed writing and reading challenges showcasing the very best of science fiction writers and exploring the influence science fiction has had on science fact.

Professor Kevin Jones, Executive Dean in the Faculty of Science and Engineering at Plymouth University, said: “Space exploration is one of the greatest scientific achievements of our time, and consistently inspires people to think beyond the boundaries of what might be possible. I hope the One Giant Read project can capture that spirit, using a combination of science fact and fiction to educate audiences about the impact science and the arts can have on their daily lives. It provides a unique opportunity for us to use our world-leading expertise to enthuse people about the STEM subjects.”

You can support this Space Adventure by texting READ71 followed by 1 to donate £1 to 70070 or donating through the One Giant Read website www.onegiantread.org.

Please follow @OneGiantRead on Twitter to keep up-to-date with the latest project news.