Trying to read more? Your brain will thank you

Reading is good for you, but fiction has added benefits.So how does reading work in the brain? Why are stories so impactful? And why, in this era of book clubs and booktok, are literacy rates not thriving?Get your votes in for Radio National's Top 100 Books Countdown before October 1st. Guests:Professor Genevieve McArthurAustralian Centre for the Advancement of Literacy, ACUDirector of Research Translation, Dyslexia SPELD FoundationDr Lili YuSenior Lecturer, School of Psychological SciencesMacquarie University Centre for ReadingDr Raymond MarProfessor of PsychologyYork UniversityJ.A. (Jess) StevensAuthor, A Change of PaceBecJess' partnerCredits:Presenter/producer: Sana QadarReporter/producer: Rose KerrSenior producer: James BullenSound engineer: Tim JenkinsResources:Reading Writing Hotline 1300 6 555 06Literacy for Life FoundationDyslexia SPELD foundationMore information:More than 1 in 3 Australian adults are functionally illiterate. How can we fix this?The benefits of reading narrative fictionA chapter a day: Association of book reading with longevityWhat Chinese can teach us about readingToo many students have 'reading anxiety'. New research suggests it is triggered by problems in primary schoolReading and associations with brain health, cognition, well-being, and mental healthTo explore more great episodes from the award-winning psychology podcast All in the Mind with host Sana Qadar, download the ABC Listen app (Australia) or search 'ABC All in the Mind podcast' wherever you get your podcasts. There you'll find more episodes on mental health, trauma, attachment theory, wellness hacks, and family relationships. You'll also hear interviews with experts like Esther Perel, Billy Garvey and Ethan Kross. All in the Mind is created for ABC's Radio National by specialist journalists and reporters at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.