Marcus Rashford And Macmillan Children’s Books To Launch New Book Club
Marcus Rashford has teamed up with Macmillan Children’s Books (MCB) to launch a new book club and promote literacy among children.
The new project will place a particular focus on getting books to vulnerable children or those from less well-off backgrounds, but will aim to give all children the chance to ‘experience the escapism of reading’.
The Marcus Rashford Book Club, will be launched in 2021, and will be a ‘reader recommends’ programme from a list of MCB’s most successful titles.
A deal for the rights to a range of books was brokered between MCB and Rashford’s agency Roc Nation.
The Manchester United and England star, who has campaigned relentlessly for underprivileged children in recent months, said he wished he had been given the opportunity to read more as a child, but that his family had been forced to prioritise food over books.
“I only started reading at 17, and it completely changed my outlook and mentality,” he said.
“I just wish I was offered the opportunity to really engage with reading more as a child, but books were never a thing we could budget for as a family when we needed to put food on the table.
“There were times where the escapism of reading could have really helped me. I want this escapism for all children. Not just those that can afford it.
“We know there are over 380,000* children across the UK today that have never owned a book, children that are in vulnerable environments. That has to change. My books are, and always will be, for every child, even if I have to deliver them myself. We will reach them.
“Acceptance and acknowledgement is a really key focus of the project. Let our children read that they are not alone and enable them to dream. Equip them for obstacles and adversities they might face. Allow them to relate to characters by making sure people of all race, religion and gender are depicted correctly and representative of modern society.
“No matter where you grow up, talent should be recognised and championed. Under the Marcus Rashford Book Club young writers, illustrators and creatives will be seen and they will be offered a platform to shine.
“The team at Macmillan Children’s Books very much share my vision and ambition, and I am really excited to be on this journey with them. It was really important to me that I always had a seat at the table for input and collaboration and that is exactly what Macmillan has offered me. There is a real family feel to this partnership and I’m really looking forward to seeing the difference we can make together.”
The partnership will see new titles published, beginning with ‘YOU ARE A CHAMPION: Unlock Your Potential, Find Your Voice And Be The BEST You Can Be,’ which will be published in May 2021.
Presented as an illustrated non-fiction offering aimed at young people aged 11-16, the book will see each chapter begin with a story from Rashford’s own life and cover topics such as the value of education, positive mentality, and female role models.
It will be co created by The Athletic writer Carl Anka and performance psychologist Katie Warriner, while two fiction titles for readers aged seven and up will be published in 2021 and 2022.
