The love of reading is a universal passion, but which celebrity figures have been big advocates on the importance of reading?

This post explores the famous people in our everyday lives who have helped to promote the importance of the old faithful book.

Emma Watson

Not only is Emma Watson renowned for her acting, but she’s also a lover of books. If you’ve heard the latest news about Emma founding a feminist book club, then this probably won’t come as a surprise to you. In a matter of four days 76,000 people signed up to the group.

Creating this reading group isn’t the only proof of Emma’s appetite for reading; she briefly put her acting career on hold when she pursued her studies in Art and Literature at Brown University.

Stephen Fry

Stephen Fry is probably the most famous voice in children’s literature. He has been known to support and take part in ‘Get London Reading’ programmes, as well as being a prolific writer himself.

Kate Winslet

Another British actress and another fan of reading, Kate Winslet has previously expressed that she’s a huge fan of Emile Zola and his psychological thriller ‘Therese Raquin’

Taylor Swift

Best known for her pop and country hits, Taylor Swift is also an advocate for the importance of reading.

In November 2015 it was reported that Taylor Swift had partnered with Scholastic to donate 25,000 books to New York City Schools. The donation was part of the “Open a World of Possible” initiative, where the Scholastic Possible Fund gives twenty five schools 1,000 new books each.

Russell Brand

Russell Brand is a figure who you probably associate with comedy or his stance on politics. Not only has Brand published his own book Revolution, but he is known for giving lectures on recommended reading, having given a lecture for the Reading Agency where he read through books others had given him and how they had inspired him through his life.

So there you have just a small selection of celebrities who love to read. Of course there are lots more to add to this list, including the now late David Bowie who actively spoke about his love of reading. If you have any more to add to the list, then let us know.