Today the ACT Chief Minister and Primary Ambassador, Katy Gallagher, today announced the ACT Ambassadors for the National Year of Reading in 2012.
As part of the National Year of Reading in 2012 the first National Year of Reading initiative – ‘Our Story’ – is already underway with every state and territory around the country voting on a shortlist of six books each. The aim is to find one book from each state and territory which will form a collection that, when read together, describes the Australian experience.
The list of eight winning titles and the start of Australia’s biggest book group for the National Year of Reading will be announced at a special event at the National Library of Australia in February.
For more information about what will be happening in the ACT during National Year of Reading and ACT Ambassadors visit http://www.library.act.gov.au/
ACT Ambassadors for the National Year of Reading 2012
- Katy Gallagher – ACT Chief Minister and Minister for Territory and Municipal Services (Primary Ambassador)
- Simon Corbell, MLA – Attorney General, Minister for Police and Emergency Services, Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development
- Kate Lundy – Federal Senator for the ACT
- Jackie French – Author
- Marion Halligan – Author
- Jack Heath – Author
- Tania McCartney – Author
- Omar Musa – Spoken Word Artist
- Jess Bibby – Captain, Canberra Capitals
- Canberra Roller Derby League
- Phil Davis – Greater Western Sydney Giants
- Grace Gill – Canberra United
- Matt Toomua – ACT Brumbies
- Mark Carmody – Weather presenter, ABC News
- Louise Maher – Drive Presenter, 666 ABC
- Rob Paxevanos – Host, Fishing Australia
- Scotty and Nige, FM 104.7 Breakfast Presenters
- Jack Waterford – Editor at Large, The Canberra Times
- Mark Sullivan – Managing Director, ACTEW AGL
- Rod Little, Chairperson of the ACT Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body (ATSIEB)
Video Transcript
Kate Lundy (Senator for the ACT): We’re at the launch of the Year of Reading, it is next year 2012 and this is the Chief Minister and she is the official Ambassador for the Year of Reading. So what do you like to read?
Katy Gallagher (ACT Chief Minister): I like to read when it is not for work, read for pleasure, nice stories not horrible stories or sci-fi or anything too heavy, as I get plenty of that for work.
Kate Lundy: We have worked out that we have incompatible reading tastes. So what is your favourite kind of novel?
Katy Gallagher: Stories about real life. Interesting stories about interesting people. But again, not too heavy. I don’t like any tragedies, I don’t like any violence, I don’t like any make believe. There is lots of it around like that.
Kate Lundy: Were you shocked to find out about the literacy rates in launching this today?
Katy Gallagher: The latest data says that about one in three Canberra adults don’t have a level of literacy that lets them lead a successful life. I think that is really shocking because you wouldn’t think a place like Canberra, a relatively well educated community would have levels like that. But it is not that hidden, so part of next year is really about raising awareness, encouraging people to read and really putting the effort in the early years with this.
Kate Lundy: Well hopefully we can inspire a lot more people to take up their favourite book and read something new perhaps in 2012.
