KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards
As part of our Corporate Citizenship programme, we have a focus on education and specifically on literacy. In 2020 we became the title sponsor of the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards.
We saw it as an ideal way to promoting literacy nationally across schools and communities south and north of the border and also supporting Irish authors, illustrators, Irish publishers and the general literacy infrastructure.
Supporting the KPMG Children’s Books Ireland Awards is only one element to KPMG’s focus on literacy. This is built on many years of other KPMG literacy initiatives such as promoting World Book Day each year, the development of the BOLD Girls programme and subsequent spin-off of that in the format of BOLD GIRLS meets 20x20, and in more recent times our involvement with Children’s Books Ireland and our Books for Birdies initiative.
In September 2021 KPMG and Children’s Books Ireland announced the launch of Free To Be Me: The Diversity, Inclusion and Representation project. The project showcases the rich diversity of modern Ireland and aims to ensure that every child can see themselves reflected in a book, as well as learning about the lives of others whose experiences and perspectives may differ from their own. The Free To Be Me reading guide contains over 360 book recommendations compiled by a team of expert reviewers, each title chosen for its portrayal of diverse characters, themes and experiences.
In KPMG Ireland, inclusion is how we unleash the collective diversity of our people. We continue to build an inclusive culture that encourages, supports, and celebrates the diverse voices of our people. We respect each other and draw strengths from our differences. We know that when this happens our people can be more creative, innovative, and successful.
The Free To Be Me project has a similar ethos, it is hugely important in terms of showcasing diversity in children’s books and fostering a sense of belonging for everyone in society. Having books which reflect diversity will ultimately lead to a more inclusive society and we are proud to play a supportive role.