‘No Longer Passive Subjects’. Care-Leavers Tell Their Stories

Hey Lucy,

I hope you’re well and have had a good week! I’m a freelance journalist and frequent contributor to Positive News’ partner content section and just wanted to send a pitch idea I had for the magazine more broadly in case it was of interest.

100 Care Leavers Join Forces To Publish Narrative Changing Anthology

Free Loaves On Friday is a book on a mission — to create systematic change by sharing the nuanced stories of 100 care-experienced people, aged 13 to 68. Published last week through crowdfunding platform Unbound, it was put together with a radical no-rejections policy — everyone who submitted a piece of work has made it into the final book — with a mission to fight a culture where care-experience people have their voices erased. Inside, there’s a rich tapestry of experience: a personal letter to a social worker who never spelt the child’s name right in reports and to the foster family who made their non-biological children use a different fridge of food — as well as celebrations of a connection, family, and getting your first pet dog.

The first of its kind and a manifesto for change, the book sees established authors such as Lemn Sissay sit against previously unpublished names. I’ve got access to the editor Rebekah Pierre, as well as a number of authors who wrote pieces, who’d be able to talk about the mission and ethos behind the project and how they’re using it to push for change within parliament and the profession of social work.

Do just let me know if you think it could work!