Stuart Lawrence's 'important' children's book to Scholastic UK

Scholastic UK has acquired Silence is Not an Option: You Can Impact the World for Change by Stuart Lawrence, the younger brother of Stephen Lawrence, the teenager murdered in south London in 1993. 

Publishing manager Leah James acquired world rights directly from the author, who was assisted by Ian Downes of Start Licensing. The title will publish in April 2021 in the same month as Stephen Lawrence Day. 

The author is a trustee of The Stephen Lawrence Charitable Trust, founded to tackle inequality in all its forms, help transform the life chances of young people and improve the world in which they live to enable them to develop their talent.

Aimed at readers aged 10 and above, Silence is Not an Option aims to empower young people to "navigate their lives through finding their own voices, and understanding how to manage outside influences to encourage change". The book ultimately explores how everyone can contribute to creating a more positive society. 

The author commented: "In Silence is Not an Option I want to be able to help young people to navigate the world and use their voice. Since being a boy reading has always been important in my life (often reading long after lights out under my quilt!) and I have always found books to be a powerful way to transport myself into other places, lives and experiences."

James added: "Stuart Lawrence is a true inspiration. I’m thrilled to be working with him on what is sure to be one of the most important children’s books of next year."