JK Rowling and Happy Days star Henry Winkler are among those who have been named as the nation's "Literacy Heroes".

Eight others, including schoolchildren, a librarian, teachers, a Romany gypsy storyteller and a prisoner have also earned the accolade.

The first winners of the National Literacy Trust's campaign to find Britain's top 10 Literacy Heroes were unveiled by the Duchess of Cornwall during a reception at Clarence House in London.

Each was picked because of the impact they have had on a community's reading and writing skills, or because they have overcome literacy problems of their own.

Camilla, who is a patron of the National Literacy Trust, launched the campaign in early October after research suggested children were increasingly embarrassed to be seen reading.

Over a two-month period, members of the public nominated hundreds of individuals for the award.

The winners were then chosen by a panel that included best-selling authors Joanna Trollope, Cressida Cowell and Dorothy Koomson, entrepreneur Levi Roots, actor, comedian and writer Miles Jupp, and columnist Lucy Mangan.

JK Rowling was chosen for turning a generation of children into readers.

National Literacy Trust director Jonathan Douglas said: "Our research shows that children's reading performance is declining, children are reading less and are holding more negative attitudes towards reading.