Suzanne Singh is the Managing Trustee of Pratham Books, a not-for-profit, children’s book publisher. Their mission is “to see a book in every child’s hand” and democratize the joy of reading. They believe that every child has the right to enjoy reading quality books, in a language that they are familiar with and at an affordable price point. In 8 years, they have published over 1500 books in 11 languages and have sold over 10 million copies. Most of their books are priced under Rs 35.
Her work includes creating a diverse range of storybooks set in the Indian cultural context that engage and inform children. Alongside there is an equal emphasis to make these books available to children who have traditionally not had access to books. Some of the pioneering things done to improve access are to open up innovative distribution channels like post offices and small grocery stores and also lower price points where a “mini” storybook can be bought for Rs.2! They are also strong advocates of an open content policy. They believe that an open content model catalyses content creation and allows for greater degrees of inclusive access to content, which embodies both their mission and their ideals.