Introducing Kumusha Books, an exciting new imprint of globally inclusive children's books.

Kumusha Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, is a new inclusive list of globally inclusive, empathy-led, high-quality children's books, curated by publisher Ken Wilson-Max.

Kumusha Books will publish a range of fiction and non-fiction, from board books for babies, to chapter books for emerging readers. Books to make positive and meaningful change to how we are all represented in children's books.

Hi reader,

I’m thrilled to present the first books of the Kumusha Books imprint. Kumusha (pronounced koo-moo-sha) means ‘ancestral home’ in the Zimbabwean Shona language. It will bring out a smile in almost any Zimababwean when mentioned. Kumusha describes the concept of home, the place you are from, or tied to both physically and spiritually.

Kumusha Books is a global list, with a representational inclusive and empathy-led mission. Our aim is to create books for all children to see themselves as they are and as they want to be; to feel at home though books. It feeds into HarperCollins intentions to make every child a proud reader. Kumusha Books will publish established authors and illustrators alongside new voices from different communities across fiction and non-fiction, spanning from baby to chapter books.

The first titles – four concept books and two picture books - highlight similarities over differences and reflect the rich make-up of culturally diverse places, in high-quality and enjoyable writing and illustration. They been selected to show breadth of representative publishing, and we’re hoping they find space in the bookshelves of as many children as possible.

Of course, this can’t be done by HarperCollins and Kumusha Books alone. It will take the whole community of readers and sharers like you, who understand the importance of good representation in books, to help build this imprint into something meaningful.

For that, I thank you in advance.

Ken Wilson-Max,

Publisher of Kumusha Books.