A programme established by late country music icon Dolly Parton, which delivers a complimentary book to children monthly until their fifth birthday, has resumed operations across selected areas of Wales. According to BBC News, the initiative aims to support families during a cost-of-living crisis by expanding access to literature for young readers.
Parton, who passed away at age 80 in August, created the Imagination Library in 1995 after being influenced by her father's inability to read and write. The programme has since expanded to numerous countries worldwide. The UK version launched in 2007 and has distributed nearly eight million books to children across the nation since its inception.
The Welsh relaunch, supported by funding from National Lottery Wales, began on Wednesday at five locations: Clwyd, Brynmill and Llanrhidian primary schools in Swansea, Pencoed Primary School in Bridgend, and a community in Risca near Newport. Children under five living in these participating school catchment areas can now register to receive monthly books at no cost.
Nine-month-old Phoebe from Swansea is among the first beneficiaries. Her mother Becky, 38, expressed enthusiasm for the scheme:
We love it, we think it's amazing. I've got another little girl as well, Faith, and since she was a baby, we've read to her, and she is thriving now. She loves reading to us instead. We buy her books constantly, so having a new one every month, she'll be waiting for it in the post.
Diana Cune, a mother of three aged 34, similarly praised the initiative.
I always tell my girls that knowledge is power, and books are the key to unlock that. We're extremely lucky and I think this is a marvellous project for our community. The kids are very fortunate to have this project rolled out here.
The scheme operates through a partnership between The Dollywood Foundation UK and Community Focused Schools. Local partners contribute £2.16 per child per month, with the foundation estimating the programme would otherwise cost approximately £143 per child annually, according to the foundation's Wales information.
The Wednesday launch event featured performances by school pupils, including those from Ysgol Bryn Tawe, alongside a Welsh language version of Dolly Parton's signature song Jolene. Singer-songwriter Bronwen Lewis performed the bilingual rendition, which was released last month and featured Parton herself alongside her niece Jada Star. The performance highlighted Parton's recently discovered Welsh ancestry in Machynlleth, Powys.
It feels like a series of events have led to this. From me singing in Welsh with Dolly Parton, her understanding her Welsh ancestry before she passed, and now a relaunch. It's unbelievable.Bronwen Lewis reflected on the convergence of circumstances surrounding the programme's return.
Calls for Wider Expansion and Increased Reading Focus
The relaunch has prompted broader discussions about literacy education in Wales. Welsh Children's Laureate Nicola Davies has advocated for expanded funding and greater emphasis on reading in schools, particularly following recent Pisa test results indicating Wales' educational performance has declined relative to other UK nations.
I would like to really see this programme being properly funded so that it could be in every part in Wales. I don't think there is enough emphasis on reading, the National Curriculum for Wales hardly mentions reading for pleasure, and reading for pleasure has been proved by so much research to be absolutely central to supporting children's educational performance across all subjects.
Davies further argued that educational underperformance stems from systemic priorities.
As we all know, the education results for Wales are not great. That means that we're not doing a good enough job for our young people, we're not supporting our young people. I think the fundamental problem in government is that education is seen as a cost, not an investment.
Helena Barrett-Duncan, regional director of The Dollywood Foundation UK, expressed ambitions to extend the scheme beyond its current locations.
We want every child in the UK of course, but we would really love to bring this programme across Wales. This is the beginning... the dream would be where every child in Wales would get this monthly gift of books. Dolly dreams big - she always did - and this whole programme is about making dreams come true.
The foundation is also investigating how to incorporate Welsh language provision into the programme, with one bilingual book already included in the selection.
The Welsh government responded to the relaunch by reaffirming its commitment to literacy. A spokesperson stated that reading constitutes
a central part of our curriculumand that schools play
an important role in how learners develop a lifelong love of reading.The government noted it remains
committed to a library space in every primary school to encourage reading for pleasureand has provided funding for literacy initiatives including Love Reading Cymru and the Summer Reading Challenge through curriculum grants. The Ymgolli campaign also aims to inspire young people to recognise the value of reading across all formats.
UK-Wide Expansion and Future Developments
Beyond Wales, the Imagination Library is receiving increased support. The UK government announced up to £15 million for children's literacy organisations, including the Imagination Library, according to a government press release. This funding is intended to help up to 300,000 children in England, with delivery coordinated through Arts Council England.
The government indicated that further details regarding the design of its new England programme will be released in due course, signalling ongoing expansion of reading initiatives across the United Kingdom.
