Thousands of free books will be hidden on Manchester trams today

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Commuters travelling on Manchester’s trams will be able to grab a free book today, as thousands are given away along the Metrolink network.

Free reads have been placed on tram seats at the crack of dawn ready to be picked up by those travelling around Greater Manchester.

It’s all part of the World Book Day celebrations today, Thursday 2 March, created to promote a love of reading among kids and their families.

The free book giveaway on the trams is a partnership between charity World Book Day, Transport for Greater Manchester (TfGM), the National Literacy Trust (NLT) and Manchester City Council.

Metrolink staff have placed the books on trams from depots, the majority of which will be for children but a selection will be for adults too.

And if you miss the books on the trams, there are also freebies being handed out from three city libraries – Central Library at St Peter’s Square, Abraham Moss Library, and the Forum Library in Wythenshawe.

World Book Day has chosen Manchester to host visits from L.D. Lapinski and A.M. Dassu, two of their 14 authors for the special day, who will take a ride on the trams and visit local schools.

Free books are being given away on Manchester trams. Credit: Unsplash

More than 300 children from five primary schools in the city will visit Central Library during the day for a special ‘meet the author’ session with award-winning author Hannah Gold, winner of the Blue Peter Book Award 2022 for her book The Lost Bear.

Councillor Adele Douglas, Deputy Executive Member for Employment, Skills, and Leisure, Manchester City Council said: “We take reading for pleasure very seriously here in Manchester and want all our children and young people to grow up loving a good read.

“Research shows that reading literally can change lives, and what better day to champion and celebrate this than on World Book Day.

“So, whether you’re on a tram, sitting at home, or out and about in one of our libraries, pick up a book and see where it takes you!”

Danny Vaughan, TfGM’s Head of Metrolink, said: “We’re very pleased to be supporting partners in marking World Book Day in a very unique way in Manchester, and we can’t wait to welcome pupils and authors onto Metrolink throughout the day as part of the celebrations.

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“Travelling on public transport can be a good time for customers of all ages to catch up on some reading, and I hope everyone enjoys the books that will be left for them on the trams today.”

Cassie Chadderton, Chief Executive at World Book Day said: “At World Book Day, we want all families, children and young people to have the opportunity to discover a love of reading. Fun reading experiences are at the heart of helping children and young people become lifelong readers and set them up for future success.

“We’re delighted to be working with our partners in Manchester to help make sure families, children and young people in the city have access to our World Book Day books and develop a lifelong habit of reading for pleasure. Just a short time spent reading together as a family can have a major impact on how children view reading.

“We can’t wait to see how families across Manchester make this year’s World Book Day their own.”

Featured image: TfGM