The Great Reading Challenge 2026 Has Begun!

The Great Reading Challenge 2026 Has Begun!

The Great Reading Challenge 2026 (Svakalega lestrarkeppnin 2026) starts today, 15 September, and runs until 6 October 2026. The challenge is a nationwide reading initiative for children in grades 1-7. All schools are welcome to participate and compete to see which school reads the most during the competition period. The goal of the challenge is to encourage children to read and increase their enjoyment of reading.

To celebrate the launch of the challenge, a reading session will be held tomorrow at Borgarbókasafnið Spöngin from 4:00 PM to 5:30 PM for children in grades 1-7. Juice and biscuits will be provided for participants to enjoy while reading together.

Special book displays will be available at Borgarbókasafnið throughout the competition period, and children are encouraged to visit the library and find a book to read as part of the challenge.

During the Great Reading Challenge, schools record the amount of time students spend reading and submit their totals at the end of the competition. The school with the highest number of reading minutes will be crowned Iceland's Most Awesome Reading School and will receive a selection of wonderful book prizes. The results will be announced on 15 October.

The challenge is organized by authors Blær Guðmundsdóttir and Eva Rún Þorgeirsdóttir. Both have received numerous awards and recognition for their work. Most recently, they were awarded the Guðrún Helgadóttir Children's Literature Prize 2026 for the manuscript of their brand-new children's book, Bestu vinir (Best Friends).

More information about the Great Reading Challenge can be found here:
https://www.sogusmidjan.is/lestrarkeppnin