Eric’s story
A love of reading can take you further than you ever expect. For me, it started with simple children’s stories, grew into a career built on words, and has now come full circle—standing in front of classrooms, helping children discover that same spark for themselves.
My passion for reading began long before I ever thought about writing a book. Growing up, I was hooked on stories like Fantastic Mr Fox, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, and the Goosebumps series. They stretched my imagination and made the world feel bigger. A big part of that came from my mum. She wasn’t a strong reader, but she understood something powerful: reading and education can open doors and create opportunities that might otherwise stay closed. That belief stuck with me.
As I got older, my love of words showed up in different ways. In the corporate world, it helped me communicate ideas clearly and win business. Outside of that, it came out through poetry, rap, and stand-up—different ways of connecting with people, making them think, or just making them laugh.
Eventually, that journey led me to write The Adventures of Tuck the Little Fire Truck, a children’s book series focused on making reading fun while building confidence, curiosity, and important life skills.
World Book Day last year brought everything together. As an author and Literacy Champion, volunteering with the National Literacy Trust, and working alongside the Vayya Foundation, I had the chance to run sessions in a primary school, working with children across Key Stages 1 and 2.
In the KS1 read along sessions, we brought the stories to life. During The Big Ocean Clean Up, the children became “Ocean Helpers,” sharing ideas and creating artwork for an “Ocean Helpers Wall.” In The Sky’s the Limit, they thought about their dreams and what they might become, filling a “Big Dreamers Wall” with colour and energy.
“The excitement in the room was real – children cheering each other on and proudly sharing their ideas.”
Eric, author and literacy champion volunteer with the National Literacy Trust
Later, with Year 6 pupils, we ran a “Book Discovery” session to help them figure out what kind of readers they are and choose books that genuinely interest them. To keep that momentum going, 94 World Book Day books were given out for them to take home.
Moments like that are why this work matters. When children are encouraged to go all in with reading, you can see the shift—confidence grows, curiosity builds, and a simple story becomes something much bigger.
Volunteers
Help someone discover the joy of reading
A little of your time can open up whole new worlds for someone else. Find out how you can support learners and be part of the National Year of Reading across 2026.
