ABSTRACT
O n 17 September 1998, the Guardian published a rather curious and enigmatic photograph of David Blunkett enjoying a pint of beer, ensconced behind the bar of the Queen Vic on the set of BBC's popular soap opera EastEnders. Soap stars Patsy Palmer (Bianca) and Sid Owen (Ricky) were pictured on either side of the politician, although their pose signalled a preference for reading above drinking. Bianca's favoured 'literary tipple', held carefully to display the cover title, was B i l l Bryson's Notes from a Small Island; Ricky's more controversial but popular choice was John Gray's Men are from Mars, Women are from Venus. The logos emblazoned on the actors' T-shirts, which announced the beginning of the National Year of Reading (NYR) , identified the policy context for this particular photo opportunity.
