Book Clubs in Schools (BCiS), the only charity that empowers older pupils to run book clubs for younger children in primary and secondary schools, today announced two new ambassadors: authors Sita Brahmachari and Tom Palmer. As ambassadors, the authors will continue the work of the charity’s much-missed patron Alex Wheatle MBE who died earlier this year.

Sita Brahmachari and Tom Palmer’s appointments come in Book Clubs in Schools 10th Anniversary Year and follow the recent announcement of the Department of Education’s 2026 National Year of Reading which BCiS will take part, sharing ways schools, parents and young people can engage with reading for pleasure. 

Sita Brahmachari says:

“Alex Wheatle was a bright empathetic star in the world of children's books, bringing his deep understanding about the power of stories to connect young people to themselves and to our complex world.  I had the privilege to meet Alex on a number of occasions and we spoke about the importance of young people finding the books that speak to our global connectedness. Stories can sustain us, stories can help us fly, stories can transport us and stories can make each and every one of us know that we are seen and heard. This deep connection to our stories matters. 

Book Clubs in Schools finds the most creative and engaging ways to encourage young people to grow and pass on a lifelong love of reading. I have seen children finding their voices in book clubs and grappling with the stories they read, agreeing and disagreeing in a respectful manner, learning how to think critically and raise their voices. BCiS build spaces for dreaming, well-being and making meaning for some of the young people who have the least access to books. I am delighted, and feel humbled, to be carrying the torch forward along with the wonderful author Tom Palmer; to help continue the incredible work that Alex started and to be part of a movement to ensure that every child has a chance to fall in love with stories, to be sustained by them and to help navigate their lives with all the opportunities and life experiences reading brings us.”

 

Tom Palmer says:

“I am so proud to have been asked to become a Book Clubs in Schools ambassador. Getting accessible books into schools and encouraging children to enjoy reading them for pleasure is at the heart of what I want to do with my life. It feels like an honour.”

Alison Palmer, Co-Founder and Director of Books Clubs in Schools says:

"We are delighted that Sita Brahmachari and Tom Palmer are our new reading ambassadors and that they will continue the life-changing work of Alex Wheatle MBE who is very much missed. They are both brilliant storytellers, creating worlds that build imagination and empathy; worlds that really engage young people. When Alex talked about what books and reading meant to him and the impact they had on his life, he connected with the young people in our book clubs. As our patron he was generous with his time and advice and we benefited enormously from it. His books, his passion for reading, and his belief that no-one should feel limited as to what they can achieve, will be a lasting legacy.” 

Founded by parents Alison Palmer and Beth Ginsburg to encourage their own children to read more, BCiS has seen 40,000 children from more than 250 schools nationwide engage with its book clubs across primary, secondary and pupil referral unit (PRU) settings in the ten years since it launched. BCiS help schools create a reading-for-pleasure culture, and the unique peer-led approach provides many other advantages including communication and leadership skills, boosting pupil confidence and well-being, and strengthening school communities.  

To find out more about how to run a successful Book Club at your school, make sure to look at our blog posted on Love Reading 4 Kids.