Maria Deskur
Co-founder, Rhiza
Categories: Ashoka Fellows, Experts+Speakers
Maria graduated from Roman studies at Sorbonne University and worked as a translator and editor of books. In 2002 Maria met with her friends and discussed the world’s ills. As young mothers, they complained about the lack of valuable children’s books that could build social cohesion. Maria and her friends did not stop there. In 2002 they started the first independent publishing house for children and in 2005 she won the International Young Publisher of the year granted by the London Book Fair.
Maria had a good understanding of the market, but also of children’s needs, so she initiated a format of a top-rated book for children, Basia, with tens of books in the series and over 500K sold copies until 2018 (and still selling). This book series was one of the first of its kind in Poland. It collected a girl’s everyday life situations that accompany most children of her age. Later, Maria joined the Egmont Publishing Poland team in several capacities, from a publisher to Managing Director. She initiated new segments of children’s books – Czytam Sobie (I am reading to myself), books for independent reading for those children learning to read. These were part of a publishing program for teaching how to read and social campaigns promoting reading and equal opportunities according to the insight: Learn to Read. Read to Learn.
At that time, every year, when the National Library published an evaluation of reading in Poland, it was a feast of national grumbling that Poles did not read. Maria decided to reach for data, consult with international friends and check for the reasons for such despair. There were, in other countries, much more people who read, and the promotion of reading was intended and on a bigger scale. It stroke Maria how democracy and reading go hand in hand. As the daughter of a scientist engaged in the solidarity movement, it was clear to her that besides family and work, there is also space for social activity. Maria understood that she and not even the big company she worked for could not do it alone, so she engaged 20 individuals and organizations to launch The Universal Reading Foundation.