Gail Rebuck honoured as adult learners vote Peter James their favourite Quick Read author
www.quickreads.org.uk

 Dame Gail Rebuck CBE, Chair of Quick Reads and CEO of The Random House Group, received a special award at the Adult Learners’ Week 2010 National Awards Ceremony in London today, Friday 21 May.  The award was made in recognition of her outstanding contribution to literacy learning in the UK.
She paid tribute to the many adult learners recognized at this year’s ceremony, all of whom, she said, had shown particular courage in overcoming extraordinary challenges.  She also thanked the Quick Reads authors and publishers and the many Quick Reads funders and partners who had helped make the initiative such a success in the last five years.
Gail then presented crime writer Peter James with the Quick Reads Readers’ Favourite Award.  Voted for by readers and adult learners using the 2010 Quick Reads titles, Peter was honoured for his book The Perfect Murder. 

A darkly humorous take on the demise of a long-suffering married couple, The Perfect Murder was one of ten new Quick Reads titles published on World Book Day, 4 March 2010.
It was chosen as this year’s favourite Quick Read via an online poll and beat off stiff competition from other 2010 Quick Read authors including Rolf Harris, Cathy Kelly, Alvin Hall, Alison Weir and Andy McNab.  Voters included adult literacy groups, Union Learning Representatives and library visitors along with the general public who have purchased the books.

One adult learner, aged 26 from Nottingham, commented “I loved this book –I never much liked reading at school, but this is funny, interesting and gives you ideas! I've got a small baby so not much time for reading, but I could really get stuck into this and I didn't want to put it down. I've asked my tutor to get me all the other QR books!”
Peter said of his win "I am utterly thrilled to receive this award.  In my view, a life without reading books is only half a life.  This wonderful Quick Reads initiative is spreading the joys and riches of reading to hundreds of thousands of people.  For every good book they go on to read, they have a gift for life that can never be taken away."

 Quick Reads are brilliantly written new books by bestselling authors and celebrities.  Part of a campaign to get people reading across the UK and Ireland, the books are perfect for people new to reading, with little time or who simply fancy a fast, fun read. 

 Previous winners of the Quick Reads Learners’ Favourite Award are Patience Thompson, for 101 Way to get your Child to Read in 2009; Adele Parks for her book Happy Families, in 2008; Ricky Tomlinson for Reading My Arse! in 2007 and Minette Walters who won the inaugural prize in 2006 for her book Chickenfeed.