Lynsey Pollard is determined to make all bookshelves diverse
We met Lynsey when we hosted our joint marketing and PR workshop with Mac&Moore and Startups Magazine and were so excited to hear more about her business, Little Box of Books, whose ambition is for more children to see themselves in stories.
“We want to be the benchmark to highlight the industry of inaction and the need for change.
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Did you have a female role model or someone you admired as a kid?
Yes. I grew up in a small village in the North East, where there wasn’t much going on. But there was a library. From age nine I was sneaking books from the teen section - (like Harry Potter going for the restricted books at Hogwarts). I accidentally picked up a Judy Blume book and she immediately became my hero. ‘Are You There God? It's Me, Margaret’ absorbed me and opened up a whole new world that I didn’t know existed. Judy Blume was the first young adult writer who covered topics like sex, that were absolutely taboo. She wanted to make teenagers feel less alone. By simply writing honestly about real life experiences she created massive controversy. I still love her now.
How do you think your early years have influenced what you do today?
I was a huge reader, there wasn’t much to do living on a farm, so reading was what I did. It was my escapism. My parents definitely taught me to make a difference. My mum used to be a social worker, working on different cases in deprived areas, which taught me the spirit of generosity. They were also part of the church and whilst I rebelled against that part of my childhood, their philanthropy has influenced the work I do today. I want to create freedom for families and books help do this. By reading stories and different life experiences children can feel less alone.
You are a former journalist and you have years of experience working in communications. Has your career path and skills made your new venture any easier?
There are a lot of life experiences and skills that can make life easier and there are definitely things that I have brought to the business. I was Head of Media at Samaritans and Great Ormond Street Hospital, so I take it for granted but the communication of the brand and knowing how to create exposure comes easy to me. I have a vast network of contacts that I lean on too. Your life is a set of building blocks and you use the blocks at different times. I’m now working closely with people who I met fleetingly years ago in various jobs.
“By reading stories and different life experiences children can feel less alone. ”
We’re really excited about Little Box of Books. It’s time that children’s books reflected the diverse society we live in. What’s your ambition for the brand as it starts to take off?
We set up as a business because we want to prove to the publishing industry everybody school and home should have a diverse bookshelf. Paths into publishing are cemented and archaic. There is a belief that certain books aren’t commercially viable and we’re here to show that there is a demand. People have been looking for these books and haven’t been able to find them. Our ambition is for more children to see themselves in stories. BAME children often won’t see themselves in books as the characters are predominantly white, whilst there are hundreds of relics in school libraries of boys portrayed as the heroes, rarely girls. A recent article indicated that children’s career ambitions are set by the time they’re 7. If a child is in an environment where their parents don’t work and the books they read reinforce this, it’s crucial to change their outlook. It’s also important for the economy to encourage children to reach their full potential. We are part of that machinery. We want to be the benchmark to highlight the industry of inaction and the need for change.
We’ve had a great reaction from writers, frustrated with the lack of inroads on diversity and inclusion in literature. We’re championing quality to ensure the books we supply are as top quality as those from reputable publishers.
Has the literary world taken too long to catch on to diversity? What has been the reaction to your mission so far?
Yes - it’s a tough one. Publishers need to commission more writers and illustrators of colour, they need to commission stories that reflect a diversity in cultures, that speak to a broader range of society. There’s a long line of talented people waiting for the opportunity to publish their stories. It’s outrageous that an industry that produces material for children is not more carefully regulated like the TV industry. It’s not that publishing doesn’t want to be more diverse, it’s just taking far too long to get there.
Do you have a piece of advice for those looking to start a business?
Presuming you’ve got the idea and are in the early days of starting your business, here’s my advice. You’ve got to know what you’re going to use social media for. Be strategic, otherwise it will amplify your biggest fears and suck time away from potentially more important things. So understand your end goal. Also look after yourself, to maintain your own mental health and wellbeing. You’ll be consistently challenged so pour into yourself so you can continue to think creatively, challenge yourself and be bold . Finally, know who your cheerleaders are and you may find them in the most unexpected places. A couple of weeks ago we were contacted by the founder of a production company, who has 2 adopted mixed race children. He loves Little Box of Books and offered to shoot a series of films for us for free. Christmas came early!
What have been the essential factors that have enabled you to get to where you are today that you think you'd struggle without?
I don’t think I can answer this question without mentioning privilege. It’s really tough to start a business. I was a single mum with my first kid and managed to carry on my career at the same time. I was lucky enough to make ends meet to do this. When I set up Little Box of Books my partner invested in it to start it up which enabled me to kickstart it whilst on maternity leave with my second child. More information needs to be shared on how women can get funding to support their startups as there’s less that goes around. Also, my cheerleaders have helped pick me up and keep me motivated, as I don’t have endless assuredness to keep me going!
What do you think is missing from businesses in building true diversity?
I think it’s about the honest conversation of the network you bring to your business and facing the reality that we all have prejudices which can be hard to face up to. Business leaders need to confront them and look outside their networks. Maybe you consider your network to be diverse but you need to be intentional and committed to the process as various groups don’t have access to training and knowledge. As we look at growing Little Box of Books in the future we want our staff to look like our business. You can’t just talk about representation and inclusion, you need to be authentic and live it.
Who's a woman to watch or someone you admire in 2019?
Gina Miller, for sure. She has been stoic in the face of abuse. She is doggedly determined to do the right thing. There is controversy around her every move to challenge the government and she shows up again and again with an unbreakable will for justice. Incredible.
Stay abreast of Lynsey’s journey and The Little Box of Books on Twitter and Instagram.