Pottermore Publishing teams up with Worldreader to support the inspiring ‘Get Kenya Reading’ initiative
On 12th July 2025, Worldreader launched ‘Get Kenya Reading’ – a 5-year initiative to inspire one million families across Kenya to get reading by 2030. We are delighted to share that we have been working closely with Worldreader to make Harry Potter part of this wonderful initiative. Worldreader is an international tech non-profit, encouraging families to come together and read so children can reach their full potential. Since 2010, they have supported over 22 million readers in 110 countries with digital books, learning tools and literacy programs. We’re very excited to be working with them again, having collaborated previously to make the Ukrainian eBook editions of the Harry Potter series available for free in 2022.
Sadly, 80% of 10-year-olds in Kenya cannot read and understand a simple story. To help combat this, Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone is now available until June 2026 on BookSmart, Worldreader’s award-winning free digital reading app. Children in Kenya can now journey with Harry through the wizarding world right from their phones! As part of the campaign, Worldreader are encouraging kids to commit to 10 minutes of reading per day, for 7 days, and will be reaching communities through schools, churches, libraries, and community-based organisations.
The campaign kicked off with a special media launch event in Nairobi with literacy advocates and government officials in attendance. The county of Kilifi is a key anchor partner in this work. And from now until October, there will be reading challenges hosted on the BookSmart app, live and virtual chapter readings, and various fun activities to inspire the children even further, including an essay contest and various polls and quizzes. Throughout the challenge, themed incentives will spark more engagement, and the campaign will culminate with a special Tea Party to celebrate the Reading Champions!
We’re honoured to play a role in this incredible effort to get children reading, tackle the crisis of limited access to books, and bring the magic of Harry Potter to families in Kenya.
