Stephen Fry reads from “Philosopher’s Stone” and Pottermore donates ebooks for Get Reading Campaign

by · July 3, 2013

According to the London Evening Standard, Stephen Fry visited the Jubilee Primary School today and read from the book that he is forever linked to: Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone. He was with London Evening Standard owner Evgeny Lebedev, who provided an amusing warm-up act reading from Roald Dahl’s The Witches on a NOOK eReader, ahead of the free Get Reading Festival organized by the Evening Standard and NOOK in Trafalgar Square on July 13.

Located at Trafalgar Square, this festival is an initiative to motivate young children to read more and encourage them to become interested in books we’ve enjoyed throughout our lives. The Get Reading Campaign supports improving child literacy to maximize future opportunities in academia and work.

In addition to Stephen Fry’s reading, Pottermore will be donating 1,000 free ebook copies of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone to the Beanstalk literacy charity. These free ebooks will be preloaded onto the 1,000 eReaders that NOOK has already generously donated.

Stephen Fry told the children during today’s event:

Reading leads everywhere. I loved books when I was young and don’t think I’d be a quarter of the person I am if it wasn’t for books. I am delighted to support this marvellous event and I hope it will inspire children to love reading as much as I do.

Launched two years ago, Get London Reading is now a four-year program that funds 600 volunteers in more than 200 schools and has raised 1 million GBP, including 500,000 GBP from the Mayor’s Fund for London.

The Get Reading Festival on July 13 is open to the general public and free of charge. The question is, will you go? Let us know in the comments below.