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Red Shed to publish Alastair Campbell's politics titles for children
The first children’s books by journalist, author and strategist Alastair Campbell have been signed by Farshore imprint Red Shed.
Scheduled to jointly release on 29th August 2024, Little Experts: Why Politics Matters for primary school children, and Alastair Campbell Talks Politics for teenagers and young adults, aim “to give young people the skills and confidence to understand and get involved with politics”.
Emma Dods, deputy editorial director for non-fiction at Red Shed, acquired world rights to both books from Viola Hayden at Curtis Brown.
The publisher said: “Alastair is on a quest to help more young people understand the world of politics and give them access to trusted information. His new books are full of impartial advice to empower young people to understand how the country works and the fundamental issues impacting their lives. In one of the most pivotal years for national and global politics, it feels more urgent than ever to galvanise the next generation of voters.”
In Alastair Campbell Talks Politics, Campbell will “unpack the world of politics, and share his extensive knowledge and insights to offer young people the only guide they need to empower them with the skills and confidence to understand the world around them”.
The book features interactive Q&As, quizzes, challenges and podcast-style interviews to “encourage readers to form a view and get involved”.
The book is part of Red Shed’s new "Talks" series featuring trend-led topics by high-profile authors, with "Dragons’ Den" investor and entrepreneur Deborah Meaden’s essential guide to money releasing in May.
Why Politics Matters, part of Red Shed’s flagship "Little Experts" series introducing “curious young minds” to hot topics, will see Campbell cover the government, what parliament is and how it works, the role of the King, voting, and how decisions are made and money is spent. In it, he will also share his top tips for how to be a good debater and “disagree agreeably” with advice for children on how they can make a difference until they are old enough to vote. These themes are brought to life with “colourful, engaging and inclusive” artwork throughout by French artist Maïté Franchi.
Campbell said: “Politics feels like it is in a bit of a mess right now, yet the challenges facing the world are so great it matters more than ever. So we need younger generations to get more involved and the first step is understanding what politics is, how it works and why it matters so much to virtually everything they care about. Unless you do A-level politics there is next to no political education in schools. Yet every time I go into schools - which is often - I detect both an understanding that things are not as they should be, and a real desire to be part of the change that is needed. I hope these books will help both to explain politics and also to inspire more children and young adults to get directly involved. Even if you are not old enough to vote, you are never too young to take an interest, have a view and make a stand.”
