Headline acquires Danny Sriskandarajah's Power to The People

Headline has acquired Power to The People by the chief executive officer of the New Economics Foundation and former c.e.o. of Oxfam GB, Danny Sriskandarajah.  

Non-fiction publisher Martin Redfern acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Patrick Walsh at PEW Literary. The book is scheduled for publication in hardback in July 2024. 

“Danny Sriskandarajah learned the value of citizenship at a young age as the child of Tamil migrants who moved from Sri Lanka to Australia,” the publisher said. “Arriving in the UK as the first Rhodes scholar from an Asian immigrant background, he has gone on to run a series of civil society organisations and has become a leading voice in the third sector.” 

Power To The People is described as “his radical manifesto for change designed to inspire citizen action around the world”. “The book presents a blueprint for how we, as individuals, can make a difference through greater community engagement, and how we can deliver a society that works for the many and not the few” the publisher said. “He speaks to voter apathy and a growing sense that elections no longer matter, with politicians and institutions too focused on short-term issues to grapple with complex global problems such as climate change, rising inequality and digital disruption. Yet the book is also filled with inspiring real-life examples of citizen power in action, ranging from a volunteer-run repair café in Danny’s local suburb to Avaaz’s successful campaigns to tackle endemic corruption in Brazil.” 

Sriskandarajah said: “Having spent 30 years on the frontline of citizen action, I’ve witnessed time and again the incredible power of ordinary people to change the world. At a time when many of us feel disillusioned and helpless, this book is about how people can make a difference and how citizens, working together, are successfully addressing some of the biggest challenges facing our world.” 

Redfern added: “More people will go to the polls this year than at any time in history but democracy is under strain as never before, and it’s easy to think our votes don’t count. Danny’s radical and inspiring book shows us how we can reimagine democracy for the 21st Century through greater citizen action – and how we all have the power in our grasp to make a difference.”