Cover Stories: Religious hatred Bill; Quick Reads

Gail Rebuck, CEO of Random House, has again secured the help of the PM to launch her Quick Reads initiative for World Book Day on 2 March. It was Blair who, with Cherie, launched the first WBD celebration in 1998. Quick Reads, with specially written titles by such authors as Ruth Rendell, Ian McEwan and Joanna Trollope, targets "emergent readers" - who don't read so well or think they have little time. Short and affordable (£2.99), they will be in booksellers and supermarkets. Adult literacy groups who have trialled the titles report they have gone down well.