This Thursday, 8 October, South Bank Colleges is joining readers around the world in an attempt to set a new GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS™ title for the most people reading online in 12 hours. The National Literacy Trust and the British Council are running the record attempt as part of the Take 10 to Read campaign, and it's one of the headline moments of the National Year of Reading 2026.
The idea is simple. Take ten minutes out of your day, pick up something you enjoy, and read. A novel, a graphic novel, a magazine, a match report or a recipe all count. As the National Year of Reading puts it: whatever you're into, take 10 to read into it.
Why reading and wellbeing go together
Take 10 to Read is now in its fifth year, and it's timed to run in the lead-up to World Mental Health Day on Saturday 10 October. The campaign highlights something many readers already know from experience: a few minutes lost in a book is a few minutes away from the noise. Studies have shown that reading can reduce stress and improve mental health and cognitive performance. Few wellbeing habits are this cheap, quiet and portable.
Join the live session
The record attempt runs as a series of online webinars for different age groups. The 16+ session is the one for our students and staff. It's hosted by BookTok creators Coco Omer and Zubs J Malik, who will talk with National Year of Reading ambassadors about their own relationship with reading and what it does for their wellbeing. Zubs has spoken openly about turning to books for comfort during a difficult time in her life, so expect an honest conversation rather than a lecture.
Each session includes a dedicated ten-minute slot where everyone watching stops and reads together. That shared reading moment is what counts towards the record.
The 16+ session runs three times on Thursday: 12pm, 4pm and 8pm.
To be counted in the record attempt, you need to:
- Register in advance at literacytrust.org.uk/events/take-10-record-attempt (allow up to 48 hours for your joining link to arrive)
- Join the Zoom webinar on the day
- Complete the short pop-up form during the session, saying where you're joining from and what you're reading
Teachers are welcome to join with their classes. The form lets you record how many people are reading with you.
Can't make it? Take 10 anyway
If a webinar doesn't fit your timetable, the college's Learning Resource Centre (LRC) is promoting #Take10toRead for World Mental Health Day and beyond. Drop in, find something that grabs you, and give it ten minutes. The habit matters more than the record.
Celebrating Black History Month at the LRC
October is also Black History Month, and the LRC team has put together a collection to mark it. The collection includes:
- Books about Black scientists and innovators
- Fiction by Black authors, with characters from around the world
- Photography and art books documenting and celebrating Black culture
The LRC welcomes suggestions to diversify the collection further. If there's a title or author you think belongs on the shelves, let the library team know.
So on Thursday, whether you're on the live webinar or in a quiet corner of the LRC, take ten minutes for yourself. Then tell us what you read using #Take10toRead.
