Frank Cottrell-Boyce and Sam Wass

Waterstones Children’s Laureate Frank Cottrell-Boyce and child psychologist and neuroscientist Professor Sam Wass discuss the importance to childhood development of reading and access to stories. They consider the urgent need to get reading as a right for all, not just the few.

When he was crowned Laureate in 2024, Cottrell-Boyce pledged to use his role to advocate for national provision so that every child – from their earliest years – has access to books, reading and the transformative ways in which they improve long-term life chances.

Professor Wass runs the Institute for the Science of Early Years (ISEY) at the University of East London. A major focus of research at the Institute is exploring how diverse early living environments influence early attention, learning and stress.