It’s official, Brits are turning to books during lockdown, with 1 in 3 of us reading more since the March directive to ‘stay at home, protect the NHS and save lives’ began. My own book, Generation Share, published last year by Policy Press has just been voted ‘top isolation read for a positive future’ by Forbes. The idea was born right here on Compton Avenue, when fed up of the barrage of negative news, I decided to embark on a journey to bring the positive stories of change-makers worldwide who are building a more caring, sharing society.

As a public speaker, changemaker and former journalist, my mantra has become, ‘to change the world, we need to change the narrative’, so I set out to do just that.

I invited Hove-based photographer and visual storyteller, Sophie Sheinwald to join me as I wanted to inspire positive change and bring these incredible stories to public attention in a way that people could connect with and feel part of. Each of the 200 change-makers interviewed for Generation Share, tell their stories in their words and along with my social commentary and Sophie’s stunning photography, it’s been dubbed ‘the big yellow book of hope.’

Each chapter showcases the extraordinary stories of social entrepreneurs and innovators who are tackling pressing issues such as climate change, poverty and inclusivity. You’ll meet the UK entrepreneur who has started a food sharing revolution, the creators of a life-saving human milk bank, a trust cafe and  the founders of a fashion library who are changing the world

The book itself is made from 100% waste materials, with fair trade, ethical production. Each copy sold, plants a tree and educates a girl in the slums in Mumbai through change-maker Aarti Naik’s Sakhi School for slum-based girls. Currently, proceeds have been helping Aarti run a Digital School ensuring that slum girls can stay at home safely during the Covid-19 crisis and run a food drive for some of India’s poorest families.

I’m proud to say Generation Share has been loved worldwide and has even sparked a global movement of change-makers. I believe, although our planetary resources may be finite, our potential to share is unlimited — inside each of us is a change-maker, just waiting to be unleashed.

Benita Matofska

Generation Share by Benita Matofska and Sophie Sheinwald can be purchased online from Policy Press with a 50% discount until the end of May using the code APRIL50 at checkout. Proceeds plant trees via the Eden Reforestation Project and support slum-based girls in Mumbai via Aarti Naik’s Sakhi School initiative.

https://policy.bristoluniversitypress.co.uk/generation-share

For more information on change-making and Generation Share, Benita can be found @benitamatofska or benita@thepeoplewhoshare.com