Matt Lucas to narrate winning review in Listening Books’ National Year of Reading Summer Competition
We are excited to announce that actor, comedian, author and National Year of Reading ambassador Matt Lucas is set to narrate the winning entry of our summer competition for members aged 16 and under.
As part of our continued celebration of the National Year of Reading, and to shine a spotlight on the skills option of The Duke of Edinburgh's Award that we offer, we recently launched a special summer competition for Listening Books members aged 16 and under.
Audiobooks can be a fantastic way for children and young people to discover new stories, build confidence and enjoy reading in a way that works for them. This summer, we invited young listeners to share their thoughts on an audiobook they have enjoyed to be in with a chance of winning a very special prize.
The prize includes a set of Beats headphones, and the winning review will be professionally narrated by the former Great British Bake Off presenter, with the recording featured across Listening Books' social media channels.
Members recently received instructions on how submit their reviews, but as a reminder, to enter they need to:
- Choose an audiobook from the Listening Books catalogue and listen to it (if they haven't already)
- Write a review or record an audio review. Click here to view tips on how to structure the review.
- Send the review to support@listening-books.org.uk, and don't forget to include the Listening Books membership number or username, their name, and the email address registered with Listening Books.
The closing date for entries is the 14th September 2026.
If you would like to take part but aren't yet a member, you can join here.
Listening Books launched the competition during the National Year of Reading to encourage young people to “go all in” on trying audiobooks, particularly as part of the Summer Reading Challenge. We appreciate that there can be many barriers to traditional reading, and audiobooks help to level the playing field for people with physical disabilities, learning difference such as ADHD and dyslexia, and health conditions that affect their ability to read print.
Louise Barling, Membership and PR Manager at Listening Books, commented: “We’re so thrilled that the National Year of Reading ambassador Matt Lucas will be narrating the winning review for our summer competition. We’re sure to receive some brilliant submissions, and we can’t wait to hear Matt Lucas bringing the winning entry to life.”
Matt Lucas has written several children’s books, including The Boy Who Slept Through Christmas and BobLand. Alongside presenting The Great British Bake Off, he has starred in several films and TV shows, including Wonka, Gladiator II, Missing Link and Doctor Who. He also wrote the viral YouTube song “Thank You Baked Potato”, which featured a whole host of special guests collaborators, and has recently been announced as a contestant on Taskmaster Series 22.
