Making a difference
Reading for life
We know that books have the power to transform lives. Good literacy skills improve a child’s success at school, the career opportunities available to them in later life, their mental and physical health and even their life expectancy. Yet - unfairly - far too many people are missing out on their potential because they have limited access to books. As a publisher, we have an important role to play in changing that. From collaborating with the iconic footballer and child food poverty campaigner Marcus Rashford on his book club, to launching The Big Amazing Poetry Project with the CLPE, we’re passionate about creating opportunities to engage reluctant and struggling readers.
How the Gift a Gruffalo campaign donated 20,000 copies to children across the UK
In the summer of 2024, WHSmith, National Literacy Trust and Macmillan Children’s Books teamed up with a new campaign to get more children reading. ‘Gift a Gruffalo’ saw copies of Julia Donaldson and Axel Scheffler’s beloved story, The Gruffalo, gifted to children from communities where the link between low literacy levels and poverty is the most evident.
Building an inclusive community
Our books must represent the world we live in and the breadth and diversity of our readers and listeners. This isn’t just a moral imperative: it’s a creative and commercial one. It’s by embracing the richness of diversity, seeking out under-represented voices and nurturing talent from all backgrounds, that our business will continue to thrive for generations to come.
This means building an inclusive workplace, where everyone feels valued and has an equal opportunity to succeed, and a supportive home for our authors and illustrators at every stage in their career. We also work with a variety of partners to reach new readers and listeners: each year we take part in hundreds of events nationwide across bookshops, community centres, festivals, libraries and schools.
How the Black British Book Festival is amplifying Black voices
Jodie Williams, head of diversity, equity and inclusion and social impact, talks to Selina Brown, CEO and Founder of the Black British Book Festival and 2024’s FutureBook Leader of the Year about the importance of celebrating Black voices on a large scale and her plans for expansion.
Protecting our planet
There is no planet B. Our environment is precious and we must do everything we can to preserve it now. We are a climate conscious publisher and actively pursue sustainable practices to reduce and reverse the impact our business has on the environment. But we also believe that we can all make a meaningful difference as individuals.
At Pan Macmillan we have an active Green Group that helps to encourage us all in the steps we can make to lessen our impact on the planet and we’re proud to have a dedicated non-fiction imprint, One Boat, that publishes books that inspire small steps towards a more ecologically-minded approach.