Promoting reading, opening new horizons: Fondation Hachette pour la lecture unveils its 2026 initiatives

Reading is a fundamental skill that is essential from a very early age and a passport to the future, which is why Fondation Hachette pour la lecture supports initiatives that help prevent illiteracy, combat school dropout, and share the enjoyment of reading with children, young people, and their families.

The foundation is backing six non-profits in 2026, which embody its deeply held belief that reading is a key catalyst for empowerment, success and social inclusion.

"Reading opens up new horizons, builds confidence, and promotes equal opportunities. In 2026, Fondation Hachette is focusing its efforts on a key priority: supporting youth starting in early childhood. Our aim is clear: to make the joy of reading accessible to all and to give people the resources they need to imagine and build their future.”

Jean-Christophe Thiery, President of Fondation Hachette pour la lecture.

In 2026, Fondation Hachette pour la lecture is supporting six large-scale projects:

• 1001mots, a program that helps disadvantaged parents with the language development of their young children, by supporting the non-profit’s plan to scale up and work with nearly 12,000 children and their families.
• Libraries Without Borders, to support the national roll-out of the “My First Library” and “By Bookbag” programs, which provide some 3,500 children who are disengaged from reading with an individual, personalized grant to create their own library.
• La Fondation Art Explora, to make improvements to “CinéMo”, a mobile cinema that screens films and offers workshops combining movies, reading and writing for nearly 9,000 young people in rural areas and underserved urban neighborhoods.
• Enfants du désert, to launch “The Caravan of the Stars,” a roaming project that will bring books and cultural activities to nearly 5,000 children in isolated villages in southeast Morocco.
• Lire pour en Sortir, which helps 2,500 young inmates reintegrate into society through reading, individual guidance, and group activities.
• Play International, to implement the CLE program, which uses sports as a teaching tool to help 7,000 pupils in Senegal to improve their counting, reading and writing skills.

Together, we doing more than turning pages—we are opening new horizons!

Click here to read the mission statement of Fondation pour la lecture.