Lady Gaga’s Born This Way Foundation Signs International Book Deal with Macmillan

Born This Way Foundation, the organization co-founded by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, have signed with Macmillan imprint, Feiwel and Friends, to publish CHANNEL KINDNESS, a collection of inspirational stories written by young people as well as personal notes of empowerment from Lady Gaga. The authors are all contributors to Born This Way Foundation’s Channel Kindness program, which seeks to elevate youth voices by providing a platform for first-person accounts of everyday acts of bravery and kindness. The book will also call on readers to perform acts of kindness in their own communities and provide helpful resources pertaining to each story. CHANNEL KINDNESS will be published simultaneously in the United States and the United Kingdom on September 22, 2020.

The stories featured in CHANNEL KINDNESS underscore Born This Way Foundation’s core mission of empowering young people by shining a light on their authentic stories and spreading kindness and acceptance. The firsthand accounts highlighted in the book demonstrate the power and resolve of their generation in a way that is sure to inspire readers of all ages. The stories will illustrate how any act of kindness—no matter how small—can have an enormous impact on the person it touches and can spark a chain reaction, amplifying kindness across a community and beyond.

“We are excited and proud to be working with Born This Way Foundation and Lady Gaga. CHANNEL KINDNESS is more than a book, it is a gift. It is an anthem. It is an embrace,” said Jean Feiwel, Publisher of Feiwel and Friends.

“CHANNEL KINDNESS is an embodiment of the everyday acts of kindness that uplift communities and instill a sense of hope in each of us. If it inspires one act of kindness, then we’ve accomplished our mission,” said Co-Founder of Born This Way Foundation, Lady Gaga. “We can’t do it alone, and here is a book that shows we aren’t.”

“My daughter and I believe in the power of kindness to transform our world and the potential of young people to lead that change. That’s why we couldn’t be more excited about CHANNEL KINDNESS and the opportunity to share these stories from youth from around the world who remind us that acts of kindness - small and large – are shaping their communities in meaningful ways every day,” said Cynthia Germanotta, President and Co-Founder of Born This Way Foundation.

Belinda Ioni Rasmussen, Publisher at Macmillan Children’s Books, says: "We feel strongly that there has never been a more important time to encourage empathy through kindness, bravery and acceptance and love. This is a vital book for our times and we can not wait to publish CHANNEL KINDNESS in the UK"

Jon Yaged, President and Publisher of Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group acquired world rights for CHANNEL KINDNESS from CAA. Jean Feiwel, Publisher of Feiwel & Friends/Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group will publish in North America, with Anna Roberto to edit.

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About Born This Way Foundation: Led by Lady Gaga and her mother Cynthia Germanotta, Born This Way Foundation was founded in 2012 to support the wellness of young people and empower them to create a kinder and braver world. To achieve these goals, Born This Way Foundation leverages evidence-based research and authentic partnerships in order to provide young people with kinder communities, improved mental health resources, and more positive environments – online and offline. To learn more, visit bornthisway.foundation.

About Macmillan Publishers: Macmillan Publishers is a global trade book publishing company with prominent imprints around the world. Macmillan publishes a broad range of award-winning books for children and adults in all categories and formats. In addition to Feiwel & Friends, U.S. publishers include: Celadon Books, Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Flatiron Books, Henry Holt & Company, Macmillan Audio, Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group, St. Martin’s Publishing Group, and Tor Books. In the UK, Australia, India, and South Africa, Macmillan publishes under the Pan Macmillan name. The German company, Holtzbrinck Deutsche Buchverlage, includes among its imprints S. Fischer, Kiepenheuer and Witsch, Rowohlt, and Droemer Knaur. Macmillan Publishers is a division of the Holtzbrinck Publishing Group, a large family-owned media company headquartered in Stuttgart, Germany