We’re partnering with Penguin Random House UK

Story champions Penguin Random House UK are joining our mission to a build a nation of storytellers as part of their ‘Creative Responsibility’ manifesto.

We’re extremely happy and excited to announce our partnership with the giant of the publishing world, Penguin Random House UK (PRH). Together, we will work to bridge the creativity gap for thousands of children in London and the UK.

The ‘creativity gap’ is caused by factors such as social mobility, ethnicity and geographic location which prevents lots of young people from having equal opportunities to fulfil their creative potential.

This impacts many of the local communities we work in such as Tower Hamlets, Islington and Hackney. We want to change this and with PRH, we aim to help at least 7,500 more young people discover and reach their creative potential.

At the Ministry, we will continue to grow our workshops, launch new projects and develop our digital platforms to reach more children across the UK. Meanwhile, PRH will mobilise its  colleagues and authors to fundraise for our writing programmes. PRH colleagues will also be getting stuck-in on the ground, volunteering as writing mentors and working side-by-side with our young writers. They will bring their invaluable knowledge and passion for design, digital and editing to help spark young people’s imaginations and ambitions.

Tom Weldon, CEO of Penguin Random House UK and Board Member of the Creative Industries Federation explains: “Creativity matters to society. Creative people invent, imagine and solve problems, big and small. But many people in London and the UK don’t have the opportunity or encouragement to be creative. I believe Penguin Random House UK can help bridge this creativity gap – the gap between having potential and being able to turn that potential into reality – because creativity is at the heart of our business. It drives everything we do.  

“We want everybody to have the chance to fulfil their creative potential no matter where they grew up or went to school – and Ministry of Stories shares this mission. I’ve been inspired by the way they make writing fun and accessible for children in East London, and I am proud that we can partner with them to motivate new generations of storytellers.”

Nick Hornby, author and co-founder of Ministry of Stories, says: “The UK is known throughout the world for its creative industries. We punch way above our weight with our creativity. So why should that creativity only be drawn from a certain section of society? Ministry of Stories works in places where kids who are not given the opportunity to express their creativity can be helped to reach their potential. That’s what this partnership with Penguin Random House UK is about: unleashing young imaginations.”

Joe Dunthorne, author and Ministry of Stories trustee adds: “For more than five years, The Ministry of Stories has been doing brilliant work, helping to give opportunities to young storytellers whose voices would otherwise not be heard. It’s these stories – the ones least told, least familiar – that have the most power to transform us. So it’s fantastic that this partnership with Penguin Random House UK will reach more of the least listened-to sections of society and let their talents sing.”

Discover more about Penguin Random House’s Creative Manifesto.