DAME KATHERINE GRAINGER ANNOUNCED AS PATRON OF MAIDENHEAD’S BIG READ

Maidenhead Community Book Festival, organisers of Maidenhead’s Big Read, are pleased to announce that Dame Katherine Grainger has been appointed as the group’s first official patron.
 
Dame Katherine was the first British woman to win medals at five successive games, with Olympic silver at Rio 2016, gold at London 2012 to add to her silver medals from Sydney in 2000, Athens in 2004, and Beijing in 2008, as well as six-time world championships titles in her collection.  She serves as an ambassador, patron and board member to a selection of charities and sporting bodies and this was recognised when, to round off an exceptional 20 year career in sport, she became Dame Katherine Grainger in the 2017 New Year’s Honours List for services to sport and charity.
 
​Dame Katherine Grainger commented “I was delighted when asked to be patron of Maidenhead’s Big Read.   Ever since I was a small child, books have given me huge pleasure and I can’t imagine life without the joy of reading.  Sometimes I feel my house will sink under the weight of all the books in it. The Big Read is an exciting venture and its variety of events offers something of interest and enjoyment to everyone in our community.  It deserves to be well supported and I’m absolutely sure it will be.”
 
Stephan Stephan, Chairman of Maidenhead’s Big Read commented “We cannot thank Dame Katherine Grainger enough for becoming our Patron.  Her passion for everything she does, her drive and determination is infectious and as an accomplished author who is passionate about reading, Dame Grainger was the obvious choice to become our Patron.”
 
Maidenhead's Big Read, organised by Maidenhead Community Book Festival, will run from Saturday 29th February to Sunday 8th March 2020 and includes a whole host of exciting events and activities including Story Telling, author and illustrator interactive events and talks in town; drop in book reading groups, reading to/with a volunteer events, pop-up book shops and book exchanges in the library and Nicholsons Shopping Centre, and these are all complementary to what our local schools are planning.  All of which are free to attend, though pre-booking is recommended.
 
Stephan continued “We want to get everyone in Maidenhead excited about literature, literacy and creativity whilst giving them the tools to create their futures because we believe that everyone can live their dreams through the power of reading and that the future is theirs to write.”

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