Pottermore Publishing and BookSmart powered by Worldreader will honour 300 young readers who have completed Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone during the Get Kenya Reading campaign.
The exclusive Tea Party celebration will take place on early December in Nairobi
The Tea Party marks the culmination of a six-month reading challenge(July–December 2025) between Pottermore Publishing and Worldreader, designed to bring the wonder of J.K. Rowling’s multi-million bestselling Harry Potter™ series to families across Kenya through BookSmart, Worldreader’s award-winning free digital reading app.
This collaboration supports Worldreader’s ambitious five-year commitment to get one million families reading in Kenya by 2030.
“We are thrilled to celebrate these Reading Champions who have embarked on their magical journey with Harry Potter,” said Paula Scott, Acting Managing Director, Pottermore Publishing.
“By making Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone freely accessible through BookSmart, we hope to inspire lifelong reading habits and show children across Kenya that stories have the power to transform lives.”
The exclusive Tea Party will offer families a fun, lively atmosphere celebrating the beloved characters featured throughout the Harry Potter book series.
It will also honor the reading heroes who have just started their journey with the imaginative world of Harry Potter—children who committed to reading and completed Book 1 during the campaign period.
Each Reading Champion will receive a paperback physical copy of Harry Potter and the Philosopher’s Stone, donated generously by Bloomsbury Publishing (UK), with a personalized bookplate, a Reading Heroes certificate, and the inspiration to continue their literary adventures.
“Every child deserves the chance to dream, explore, and grow through stories,” said Elizabeth Wasunna Ochwa, Board Chair at Worldreader Kenya.
“This celebration is about more than one book—it’s about building a joy-filled reading routine and a culture of learning that will delight families throughout their lifetime. When we put quality books in the hands of parents and children together, we unlock unlimited potential.”
The collaboration between Pottermore Publishing and Worldreader further addresses a critical challenge where 80pc of 10-year-olds in Kenya cannot read and understand a simple story, largely due to limited access to age-appropriate books.
Through BookSmart, families can access over 2,700 quality books in English and Kiswahili at no cost, turning any smartphone into a personal library.
Research shows that just 10 minutes of reading a day with a caring adult can improve a child’s vocabulary, school readiness, empathy, and confidence.
The Get Kenya Reading Initiative builds on this evidence-based approach, encouraging families to replace 10 minutes of daily social media scrolling with reading together.
“This is not a crisis of children’s motivation—it’s a crisis of access and routine,” said Rebecca Chandler Leege, CEO of Worldreader.
“The earlier families begin reading with their children, the greater the lifelong impact. Through strong partnerships like this one with Pottermore Publishing, we’re helping families build joyful reading routines that unlock potential—at no cost to parents.”
