Nicky P.
About me
| Nicky P. | |
| English and Related Literature | |
| English & Philosophy | |
| Undergraduate | |
| Langwith | |
| 1984 | |
| United Kingdom |
My employment
| Literature and human rights specialist | |
| Red Page Ltd | |
| United Kingdom | |
| Journalism and publishing | |
| Small business (0-49 employees) | |
| 2024 |
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A day in the life of a Literature and human rights specialist in the United Kingdom
Yes, you need to earn a living - but if it doesn't interest you, then carve out some spare time and really put effort into doing what you enjoy. It will bear fruit.
Briefly describe the organisation you work for
Red Page is a content and publishing consultancy, specialising in growing knowledge through writing, curation and engagement. I'm also Lead Consultant for Seen & Heard: Young People's Voices and Freedom of Expression, and am a Trustee for the freedom of expression charity English PEN.
What do you do?
Red Page specialises in growing knowledge through writing, curation and engagement. I take a particular interest in freedom of expression (aka freedom of speech / freedom to publish) and am also Lead Consultant for Seen and Heard. This three-year project is a collaboration between Amnesty International Poland and the Universities of Malta, Humboldt in Berlin and Wroclaw in Poland. We combine academic research, arts and culture, and activism to explore if and how children's literature affects their understanding of social justice, especially their right to freedom of expression. We are working with c. 600 children of over 50 nationalities from marginalised backgrounds. My particular focus is to create a children's book informed by the research findings, with the active participation of the children and young people. To do this, I've commissioned the support of illustrator Chris Riddell and author Sita Brahmachari. I'm also working closely with human rights educators in the development of online and offline teaching resources for classroom use.
I came to this after many years at Amnesty International in the UK, where I ran the publishing programme and developed a focus on literature for children and young people, exploring deep links between story-telling and human rights. The goal was to use stories, poetry and illustration to develop knowledge and awareness of human rights, build empathy and give children and young people the confidence to stand up for themselves and others. My role entailed strategy development, collaborations with publishing houses, author and illustrator book commissions, global partnerships (to explore particular needs in different communities around the world and develop books for them) and relationship development with artists and authors.
I spent four years at Amnesty's International Secretariat, where I wrote two books on child rights in a global partnership with Angelina Jolie and others: 'Know Your Rights and Claim Them' (Andersen Press 2021) and 'These Rights Are Your Rights' (Andersen Press 2024).
Reflecting upon your past employment and education, what led you to your current career choice?
This didn't exist as a career when I started out and when I graduated I had no idea at all where I was going. I fell into writing and events work through a couple of small charities, and gradually moved into what was then known as third world development work, where I edited non-fiction for adults. When I started at Amnesty, I felt strongly that the reports on human rights abuses were vital but serving a very niche audience, and I was lucky enough to be allowed to branch out and explore human rights values underpinning children's literature. I started commissioning authors and illustrators and curating books in partnership with commercial publishers. From there I moved to spoken word as a means of empowering young people to explore their rights and express themselves, in a project called Words That Burn. And from there to exploring how to empower children's participation rights through a global child rights book project with Angelina Jolie, and then a cross-European project with universities.
With hindsight, my degree in literature and philosophy (especially ethics) gave me a really strong grounding for what I came to do. My love of literature and interest in ideas and the practical application of philosophy has ultimately stood me in good stead. I was also lucky enough to be allowed to play with this in the workplace - nobody else was working in this field before I started doing it at Amnesty. We have a long way to go before it's widely recognised that literature can help children explore and express human rights, but I feel we've made a good start.
Is your current job sector different from what you thought you would enter when you graduated?
I was very ignorant of what the options were, but was a member Amnesty at school and university so expect I would have been proud to envisage this.
Describe your most memorable day at work
One day I went to a session with children at Chickenshed, an inclusive theatre company. The children had been helping us with research for a forthcoming book on child rights, in order to uphold their human right to a voice. This session was to feed back to them the ideas they and other children had generated. The children's insights were unexpectedly profound and I found it incredibly moving. One little girl with Downs said: "It's all very well having the right to express yourself, but it's not much use if nobody listens." Her wisdom goes straight to the point of why human rights matter and why we need to communicate them.
Are there any challenges associated with your job?
Massive challenges. Within the NGO sector, under 18s are rarely a target audience and children's books can be seen as a soft option compared to hard-hitting campaigns or fundraising. Meanwhile, within the children's publishing sector, human rights are often seen as too challenging.
What’s your work environment and culture like?
Very varied. There are some wonderfully passionate and intelligent people from all over the world, many with real expertise in their areas. They are truly inspiring. On the other hand, the structure is highly bureaucratic, often hierarchical and there are very limited budgets to argue over. Also, the jargon is intense and can be intimidating - don't let it put you off!
What extracurricular activities did you undertake at university and what transferable skills did you develop through these?
It's a long time ago - I was in a drama group through the Modern Theatre unit of my English degree (which involved travelling in France), also the Latin America society… I travelled to Soviet Bulgaria to volunteer on an archaeological dig… I do wish I had taken more advantage of what was on offer. My advice would be to try lots, as it's unlikely you'll ever be exposed to such a wealth of opportunities again. You learn from all of them, even if it's awareness of what you don't want to do.
What would you like to do next with your career?
I want to write a book on the fast-rising censorship of children's books.
What top tips do you have for York students preparing for today’s job market and life after graduation?
Explore your interests and try and do what makes you happy - follow your heart. Yes, you need to earn a living - but if it doesn't interest you, then carve out some spare time and really put effort into doing what you enjoy. It will bear fruit.
What topics from students are you happy to answer questions on?
I'm happy to respond to questions on careers involving literature, human rights, publishing and relationship management, the NGO and charity sector. As a former Board chair for a literacy charity, and current Trustee of English PEN, I also have good understanding of strategic oversight. I can also help you explore how you can flourish by developing work beyond the confines of your role.
Is there anything else you’d like to tell us?
Stay curious, keep learning, and do what sparks your interests and creativity.
Next steps...
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