Pan signs Jacinda Ardern's memoir and children's book

Pan Macmillan announced the publication of A Different Kind of Power: A Memoir by Jacinda Ardern, set for release on 3rd June 2025, as well as a children’s book from the former New Zealand Prime Minister due later thus year.

Mike Harpley, publisher at Pan, acquired UK and British Commonwealth rights, excluding Australia and New Zealand, from Karolina Sutton at CAA.

The memoir will be released in physical and e-book formats, with an audio edition read by Ardern issued simultaneously by Pan Macmillan. It will also be published simultaneously in the English language in New Zealand (Penguin Random House New Zealand), Australia (Penguin Random House Australia) and the USA (Crown, Penguin Random House) with publications in te reo Māori (Penguin Random House New Zealand), along with several other major territories.

The blurb reads: "In a time of unprecedented global challenges, political polarisation, and dwindling trust in our leaders, Jacinda Ardern’s leadership stands apart. A Different Kind of Power reveals how empathy, kindness, and unwavering strength redefined leadership and inspired a global movement."

Ardern was elected the 40th Prime Minister of New Zealand in 2017, becoming the country’s youngest Prime Minister in more than 150 years. Now a senior fellow at Harvard University, she leads the global Field fellowship programme on empathetic leadership, which she founded in 2024. As a patron of the Christchurch Call Foundation, Ardern works to eliminate terrorist and violent extremist content from digital platforms. She serves on the board of The Earthshot Prize, and is the Arnhold Distinguished Fellow at Conservation International.

Pan Macmillan commented: "An outlier in both age and gender, the world took notice when Ardern became Prime Minister of New Zealand at the age 37. But it was her response to unprecedented challenges – a horrific terror attack on two Christchurch Mosques, a volcanic eruption, and the outbreak of Covid-19 – that proved the power of a leader who prioritises empathy and humanity."

Arden said: “Some people thought kindness was sentimental, soft. A bit naive, even. I knew this. But I also knew they were wrong. Kindness has a power and strength that almost nothing else on this planet has. I’d seen kindness do extraordinary things – I’d seen it give people hope, I’d seen it change minds, and transform lives... Kindness. This was my guiding principle, and it would be the trait with which I would try to lead, no matter what lay ahead."