National Book League, Childrens Book exhibition

Boy reading a book at the 'Books for children' exhibition held by the National Book League in November 1968. The exhibition was held at their head office in 7 Albemarle Street, Piccadilly. The League was founded in 1921 by Hugh Walpole, author of 'Rouge Herries', for the 'advancement of literature'. By 1924 he and a group of other authors had set up the National Book Council and they wrote to newspapers, schools and libraries to foster the reading habit in young children. By the 1960s the organisation was known as The National Book League and then in 1980s the head office moved to Wandsworth and it became Booktrust, as it is known today.