Position: Managing director of Primary Colours, a publishing and learning company
- Were you surprised to hear that you have been awarded an MBE for Services to Cultural Diversity in the Queen's Birthday Honours?
I was really shocked. When I received the letter I thought it was a bill or a summons, so it was a nice surprise!
- Why did you decide to set up Primary Colours?
When my children were one and three I realised I couldn't find any books with positive images of minority children. Then when my daughter said she wanted to have white skin, not brown, I decided something had to be done and gave up my job as a lawyer to write picture books with photos of minority ethnic children.
- Since starting the company in 1997, how has it grown?
After the books proved successful we moved into producing teacher packs and staging theatre productions, based on the books, at primary schools. We also provide teaching-training that more than 2,000 teachers have now attended.
