Hounslow Teen Read Celebration Event 2026

As part of our whole school drive towards reading for pleasure and empowerment, we loved being part of a community project called Hounslow Teen Read again this year. As a reminder, this borough-wide competition has involved students from Key Stage 3 reading through a shortlist of six books over the course of a term, meeting weekly at the Breakfast Reading Club to discuss each book in detail. Students then submitted their favourite to the judging panel.

We were delighted to host the Celebration Event, inviting students from across the borough to meet author Savita Kalhan and learn this year's winner. It was a fantastic morning for these keen readers, who learned about the process of writing a novel and how to craft compelling characters. The author also talked about her journey to this point as well as commenting on how reading and writing shapes emotional response and personality throughout life. One student described the talk as "inspiring" while another was "grateful for the opportunity." Thought-provoking and engaging, this was a superb celebration of reading and a fitting end to this year's Teen Read.