Penguin Random House UK is distributing free books to communities most affected by the coronavirus crisis, helping provide mental stimulation, company and comfort during the current COVID-19 crisis.

The company is partnering with the community platform Neighbourly, which currently supports a national network of foodbanks and delivers food parcels to people’s homes.

The range of charities and community groups who will receive the books and offer them as part of their essential services include UK Harvest, which delivers surplus food from commercial outlets such as supermarkets, to feed those people in greatest need.

Liz Woodsell, COO of UK Harvest, said: "This partnership with Penguin Random House is really exciting for us, especially at this particularly challenging time. We are in the business of supporting people with food which is essential for their wellbeing, but we believe that by also giving people books, we can really offer some emotional support too. For people in isolation and those relying on foodbanks, books can really give some comfort."

The partnership with Neighbourly is part of Penguin Random House’s ongoing commitment to ensure that everyone has access to books, focusing particularly on hard to reach groups. Neighbourly’s previous work to distribute Penguin Random House books to charitable causes has shown that 81 per cent of those who received a book felt encouraged to read as a result.

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