Author Kate Mosse launches World Book Day with a Quick Read at St James

World-renowned author Kate Mosse will launch her Quick Read, The Cave, at a celebration of World Book Day (Thursday 5^th March) today at St James' Hospital, Portsmouth. The author will meet staff from Portsmouth City Teaching Primary Care Trust and read an extract from the new book, copies of which will be given to guests on the day. The launch is also an opportunity to show Kate the excellent partnership between trade unions and the PCT, which has enabled staff to develop themselves through a range of learning opportunities. The PCT has established a union learning centre in the domestic department to provide support for everyone who wants to increase their skills.

L-r Jenny Ford, Unison, Victoria Fry, Dee Muenchinger, Amy Ford, Rachel Lindsay, Lynn Creese and Kate Mosse (centre of picture).

Kate Mosse said: ' For me, a day without reading is a wasted day. You can go anywhere in your imagination, be anyone, think about anything and live a hundred stories in just one day. The 2009 Quick Read novels are quirky, funny, thought provoking, exciting, surprising. Quick Reads* are a fabulous reason to take the everyday storytelling habit just one step further and turn it into a daily reading habit!'

PCT Chief Executive Tracy Sanders said: 'I am delighted that such a big name in literature is supporting the work of the PCT's union learning reps. They have made a huge difference in motivating staff to take on new challenges and in sign-posting people to the right course for them and the funding available. As a teaching PCT, learning is a core aspect of what we do.'

Barry Francis, Regional Manager, unionlearn* with the Southern and Eastern TUC said: 'The PCT's excellent relationship with the trade unions is bringing real benefits to staff, who are increasing their skills and also to the PCT, which is developing talent within its ranks. By empowering staff to return to learning, union learning reps are really helping people to change their lives through education.'

Kate's Quick Read is one of ten being launched today as part of World Book Day. Quick Reads are specially written, many of them by best-selling authors and popular personalities, for both reluctant readers and for avid readers wanting a short, fast-paced read. Unionlearn in the Southern and Eastern region is supporting many adult education projects which are raising skills levels throughout Hampshire. The TUC's learning and skills organisation is one of many partners working with Quick Reads to reach out to the millions of adults in the UK with reading difficulties and the one third of the British population that never picks up a book.

NOTES TO EDITORS:

All unionlearn press releases can be found at www.unionlearn.org.uk

Media enquiries:
Jay Sreedharan M: 07825 309 084 E: jsreedharan@tuc.org.uk

Vicky Griffin M: 07595 087 602 E: Vicky.Griffin@ports.nhs.uk

Photographs ©Rod Leon 2009 E: rod@allimages.net

The event will take place between 11-12.30pm.

Kate Mosse's Labyrinth was a New York Times bestselling novel which won the Best Read category at the British Book Awards 2006, was #1 in UK paperback for six months ? selling over one million copies ? and was the biggest selling title of 2006. In 2007, it was named as one of the Top 25 books of the past 25 years by the bookselling chain Waterstone's. It also hit the bestseller charts in various countries throughout the world, including the United States, Germany, Italy, Holland, Norway, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. Translation rights to Labyrinth have been sold in thirty-seven languages, including Japanese, Chinese, and Hebrew. Translation rights for Sepulchre are being sold to the same territories, and the film and televisions rights for both novels are under negotiation.

Quick Reads are launched on World Book Day, which is the biggest annual celebration of books and reading in the UK. Now in its twelfth year, World Book Day will be held on Thursday March 5 2009. Information about World Book Day is also available from the website www.worldbookday.com. The brand-new set of Quick Reads, written by some of Britain's most popular personalities is published on World Book Day, 5 March 2009. The books are priced at just £1.99 each.

The new Quick Reads published on World Book Day, 2009 are: A Cool Head by Ian Rankin (Orion); The Cave by Kate Mosse (Orion); Black-Eyed Devils by Catrin Collier (Accent Press); The Dare by John Boyne (Transworld); Doctor Who: The Sontaran Games by Jacqueline Rayner (BBC Books); The Tannery by Sherrie Hewson (Macmillan); All These Lonely People by Gervase Phinn (Penguin); 101 Ways to get your Child to Read by Patience Thomson, with an introduction by Michael Morpurgo and celebrity tips (Barrington Stoke); Reaching for the Stars: How you can make your dreams come true by Lola Jaye (HarperCollins); and Dragons' Den: Your Road to Success by The Dragons (HarperCollins).

Unionlearn together with unions has recruited over 20,000 union learning reps who last year helped over 200,000 people to access courses.

The PCT's vision is 'to improve the health and well being of local people and reduce inequalities of access to healthcare and health services for all.' It has a £300m annual budget to provide and commission NHS services for Portsmouth's 190,000 residents.

The PCT works closely with primary care professionals to support the work of pharmacists, NHS dentists, opticians and family doctors at 27 GP practices. 2,000 staff provide a range of community health services, including mental health services jointly with Portsmouth City Council.

Press release (900 words) issued 5 Mar 2009

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