Forty-six publishers get on board for Empathy Day

Forty-six publishers have pledged to take part in Empathy Day this year with activities including debates, superhero-themed challenges and an afternoon off for staff.

Organised by not-for-profit organisation EmpathyLab, the 9th June event aims to help young readers learn more about empathy and how reading encourages it. This year, a new development focuses on involving staff both from a wellbeing perspective and as part of a drive to recognise and celebrate the role publishing employees play in building empathy in society.

The organisation will host a flagship debate involving Lemn Sissay, Katherine Rundell, Manjeet Mann and Professor Robin Banerjee, examining the role of psychology and literature in empathy building. As part of the event’s online festival, authors including Cressida Cowell, Michael Morpurgo, Malorie Blackman, Michael Rosen, Joseph Coelho and Jacqueline Wilson will be discussing how empathy can be a "superpower", while Phil Earle and Patrice Lawrence will be sharing their Empathy Resolutions, among other activities.

Publishers have signed up for the "Super Power Challenge" which involves staff completing nine tasks to boost empathic behaviour.

Penguin Random House Children’s will be encouraging staff to connect with colleagues through online chats if working remotely, and to strike up "work free" conversations with fellow employees if in the office. The team will be participating in EmpathyLab’s social media campaign, and taking photos of themselves spending time with colleagues.

“We are incredibly grateful to Miranda and her Empathy Lab team for their amazing work and our longstanding and effective partnership," said Francesca Dow, m.d. at PRH Children’s. "We are so excited to now offer empathy training to all of our debut children’s authors from 2022 onwards as well as developing bespoke training sessions for our staff. By taking part in and raising awareness for Empathy Day we hope to encourage all families, teachers and children to make empathy a core part of growing up.”

Bloomsbury staff and authors will also be participating in the event. Katherine Rundell will be speaking as part of the Empathy Conversation and Caryl Hart, Stephanie Burgis and Joshua Siegal have all written Empathy Shorts for the organisation. Staff will be encouraged to attend a lunchtime webinar exploring empathy in the workplace, and there will be a competition for staff to strike their best superpower pose for the chance to win an empathy library and summer picnic hamper.

Staff at Nosy Crow will be given the afternoon off and encouraged to take time to look after themselves and others. They are being encouraged to make use of the Empathy Live programme, go for a walk or volunteer. The publisher will also be bringing back its "Human Discoveries" activity, where each member of staff is paired up with a colleague from a different department and given £5 to buy coffee and cake and get to know each other. 

"It’s an opportunity to check in with yourself, to reach out to friends, family, and colleagues that you might not otherwise have the time to reach," a spokesperson from the children’s indie said. 

Child’s Play International Ltd. will be decorating its office with posters providing information on "active listening", while staff will be collecting for their local food banks, and checking in with colleagues working remotely. They will also be participating in Empathy’sLab recommended walks, and reviewing picture book projects to assess other ways to model empathy in their narratives.