Why should adults care about World Book Day?

’The benefits of reading are well documented,’ says publisher, Nicki Copeland. She shares why she loves to read and why ‘stories stimulate our imaginations’, long after childhood. 

How do you like to relax? For me, one of my favourite ways to unwind is to curl up with a good novel. (Okay, I admit, a little bit of chocolate might be involved as well.) There’s nothing quite like losing myself in a good story. It’s like I’m right there in the scene, observing, evaluating the situation, rooting for the hero, wanting sometimes to shout the literary equivalent of the pantomime ‘Look behind you!’

Stories stimulate our imaginations. Our minds are free to paint a picture of the scene unfolding before us as the plot thickens, the tension builds. We create an image of what each character looks like, and we make judgements – rightly or wrongly – about their actions and decisions.