Bake Off winner Nadiya Hussain says reading helped her mental health as she backs our Books For Schools campaign
BAKE Off winner Nadiya Hussain is well-known for her skills in the kitchen, but books played a big part in her recipe for success.
Nadiya explains how, like many children, she didn’t grow up in a home full of books. It was only when she began exploring her school library as a teen that she developed a love of reading.
The mother-of-three is the latest high-profile author to back The Sun’s great Books For Schools campaign.
More than 4,000 primaries — that’s one in five across the country — have signed up to our great initiative.
The Sun has teamed up with publisher HarperCollins to offer primary schools in England, Wales and Northern Ireland the chance to claim a fab box of Collins Big Cat books worth more than £600 for FREE.
Schools simply need to register, then collect tokens from pupils to receive their free package, which includes titles by brilliant authors including David Walliams, Julia Donaldson and Michael Morpurgo.
Nadiya, 34, says: “The Sun’s campaign is wonderful because it’s giving children the opportunity to discover a book they might like.
“People often take books for granted and assume that all children are able to get hold of them when they want to, but that’s not true.
“Reading wasn’t something that I grew up with. My parents are from Bangladesh and reading wasn’t a thing — so they didn’t pass on a love of literature to me and my siblings.”
'THE ESCAPE I NEEDED'
“We didn’t have books in our house as they weren’t considered important.
“I wasn’t ever taken to the library and my peer group didn’t read.
“It drives me insane that people don’t see the value in reading because it’s such an incredible thing.”
Research from the National Literacy Trust found that the more books a child owns, the more likely they are to have good literacy skills.
Nadiya, from Milton Keynes, Bucks, says: “It wasn’t until I went to high school that I fell in love with books.
“They had a library there and I spent a lot of time in it.
“I discovered the Nancy Drew Mystery Stories by Carolyn Keene.
'IT'S LIBERATING'
“I had a pretty strict upbringing. Life consisted of school, home, dinner and bed.
“We didn’t socialise with our friends, so reading about the adventures of Nancy Drew was incredible.
“There was this young girl who was going out in the middle of the night solving mysteries. I decided that I was going to be a detective too.
“That library represented freedom. I could choose to go there and read rather than going into the lunch hall.
“Today when I read, it’s just me and that book. It’s liberating.
“Reading became the escape I needed.”
Nadiya — whose latest children’s book My Monster And Me was published last month — talked honestly about her battles with anxiety in her recent memoir Finding My Voice.
She says: “Without doubt, books have helped my mental health. It’s the biggest form of escapism.
“I read every night before I go to bed, and when my kids were young I read with them as well.
“As an adult, a book is a great way to relax, and as a kid a book is also a fantastic tool to talk together about something tricky.
“That’s why I was so keen to write My Monster And Me. All children are anxious sometimes, and I wanted to create a story that normalised that and gave parents an opportunity to discuss worries with them.
“If we start helping children with their mental health early, we can hopefully avoid problems later.”
Nadiya’s claims are supported by statistics from the Reading Agency which found that just six minutes of reading can help reduce stress levels by up to 60 per cent.
The proud mum to sons Musa, 13, Dawud, 12, and nine-year-old daughter Maryam, says: “Like most people, making time for reading is a challenge and I struggle to fit it in. But I make it a priority.
“I often read in the bathtub. It’s the time I get disturbed the least — although my daughter often sits outside tapping on the door.”
'I'M A BOOK PUSHER'
To date, the cookery author has written 11 titles, including two novels and four children’s stories.
And she has passed on her love of books to her kids.
Nadiya says: “Raising children who read is very important to me and it’s something I’ve worked very hard on.
“To raise readers you have to lead by example. My children often see me with a book in my hand.”
“I’m proud to say that I’m a book pusher. The book they really loved when they were younger was The Gruffalo by Julia Donaldson.
“When my children were very little, I wanted their favourite book to be The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle, because I think it’s amazing.
“But they weren’t really fussed about it — and I’m quite disappointed in them for that!
“Children go through phases and sometimes you have to spend time persuading them to do something that you know they will benefit from in the end.
'SOURCE OF INSPIRATION'
“I’ll often say to my children, ‘Just read a page.’
“My eldest is the bookworm of the family and he goes to bed early, which makes me the worst mum in the world in his mind.
“But it allows him time to read and it’s better than spending hours watching TV.
“The book that my children return to again and again is Some Dogs Do by Jez Alborough.
“It is so hopeful and reminds you that you can do anything, which is perfect on a bad day.”
Since winning The Great British Bake Off in 2015, Nadiya has become a household name, but her family have kept her grounded.
She says: “It’s very humbling. My parents couldn’t care less about what I do. They are very blasé.
“In my parents’ eyes, I’m doing a job and it is no different to my sister’s, who’s a teaching assistant.”
So what books does the busy working mum find time to read?
Nadiya reveals: “I’m reading The Institute by Stephen King at the moment. I haven’t ever read anything like it.
“There is something so dark about his writing.
“There’s a part of me that’s intrigued to see if I could write something so gritty. I’m not sure.”
Naturally, the telly baker is also a big fan of recipe books.
She explains: “They’re a great source of inspiration. I like to begin with the acknowledgements so I can get inside the author’s head.
“Food is attached to the emotions. I want to feel the emotion when I read a cookbook so I read them really carefully.
“And I love recipe books that are specific to countries.
MOST READ IN UK NEWS
“I also love writing and I try to write every single day, whether that’s a poem or for work. If I don’t write, I feel a little lost.
“I’ve written regularly since I was 17 and I’m at my happiest when I’ve got a pen in my hand.
“My kids love writing too and I collect the little notes that they leave around. It offers a great insight into their minds.”
T&Cs apply. Online registration required. Multiple token collect. For full T&Cs see .
- My Monster And Me, by Nadiya Hussain, published by Hodder Children’s Books, is out now, price £12.99
How to get them free
1. Get your school to register at by Friday, November 22, 2019. Only schools can register, so encourage yours to sign up
2. Help your school collect 3,500 tokens from The Sun and The Sun on Sunday between Saturday, November 23, 2019, and Saturday, January 18, 2020
3. Once your school has 3,500 tokens, they will need to return them by Saturday, February 8, 2020
4. Your school will receive the books in March 2020
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