Every child deserves to open a book and see someone like themselves looking back. Too many still can’t.
I’m Ken Wilson-Max and addressing this reality in meaningful ways is what I do. Drawing my thoughts is a habit that became a career in children’s book publishing and made me more curious about what makes a book work and how the idea of “every child a proud reader” could be realised.
In 2017 I became owner of Alanna Max Books, an independent publisher telling stories about children from every kind of background. Four years later, HarperCollins Children’s Books asked me to build and run their first imprint dedicated to more inclusive publishing: Kumusha Books. Kumusha is a Shona word for home — not just a place, but the one you’re pulled back to, where you feel safest. That’s what we wanted books to be, for children who’d rarely found themselves in one.
Today, I write and illustrate books so children can see themselves and their friends in a story. I publish new and experienced creators alike, and I keep pushing, publicly, for a fairer publishing industry. Because everyone has a story worth telling, and not enough of them are getting told.
If that’s the kind of publishing you want to be part of — as a reader, a parent, or a creator with a story of your own — you’re in the right place.