Since releasing her first autobiography Beautiful back in 2011, Katie Piper has inspired thousands around the world by establishing herself as an author, setting up the Katie Piper Foundation, and last year receiving an OBE for her charity work. And now, having shared her own story, Katie is ready to help other survivors tell theirs.
What is The UnSeen?
Enter The UnSeen – a brand new literary imprint that’s putting those who were previously ‘unheard’ at the forefront. Launched underneath SPCK publishers, the platform will help individuals share their own inspiring stories – sometimes heart-breaking, but always filled with hope.
Talking about where the idea came from, Katie tells Grazia: ‘I started writing my very first book back in 2010, and it really did change my life. Before I wrote my autobiography, I was anonymous. Due to my court case, my story had been untold, and people made up their mind about me based on their own perception. I very much wanted to be seen and have a platform – and it was empowering when I was able to do that.’
In those 10 years, Katie has carved out her space as an author – and now, with multiple books under her wing, she's ready to help other survivors publish their own.
I wanted to have a platform - and it was empowering when I was able to do that.
‘I think as my journey continued into publishing and self-help, I’ve met so many other people – not just burns survivors – who have these incredible stories,' she says. 'It’s not about facing adversity and having a fluffy ending, because we all know life doesn’t work out like that. I met these people that had actually triumphed in the face of trauma and tragedy, but it hadn’t been easy. So I thought, right, I’m 13 books in now, I’m in a position where I can take this to the publisher and say I want to help other people get their stories to number one.’
And Katie’s publishers had just as much faith in The UnSeen as she did. 'SPCK were really behind it,’ Katie explains. ‘There were quite a few people whose stories I wanted to share, but I had these three incredible women in mind to start with. I met with them in person and asked if they’d be comfortable doing it – and they all trusted me with their story, which was amazing. That’s how The UnSeen was born!’
Who are the authors for The UnSeen?
Those three incredible women are Ellie Goldstein, Sophie Lee, and Livi Deane – the first to tell their stories with The UnSeen.
Supermodel Ellie’s autobiography Against All Odds will be the first title released – following how she defied all odds. After being born with Down Syndrome, Ellie’s family were told by doctors that their daughter would never be able to walk or talk.
Yet, here Ellie is, a supermodel fronting her own campaigns across the globe, having been the face of prestigious brands and campaigns such as Gucci Beauty and Adidas Women.
Katie says, 'I became an ambassador for a model agency called Zebedee who represent those with physical differences or disabilities, and Ellie is a top model there. It was through the agency that I actually met Ellie.’
But Ellie’s story is far from singular. In fact, Katie shares that it’s the story of a family – and how ‘community and support’ can carry people through even the toughest of times.
‘Her story is one of a remarkable family that pull together to get through something and defy the odds,' she says. 'Her memoir is a mixture of her own account as well as those who care for her. I actually hope that her story is going to help other parents with children who are born with Down Syndrome.’
Also telling her story with The UnSeen is performer and model Sophie Lee, who was left with burns after an accident at work. ‘Sophie is a survivor I met through my charity,' says Katie. 'She was working in America as a dancer doing fire breathing on stage, and then she was burnt. Sophie’s ethnicity is Chinese, and Caucasian skin scars quite differently to Black and Asian skin, so she was left with keloid scarring on her jaw.’
After undergoing surgeries in America, the performer and model returned to the UK to be with family – becoming close friends with Katie through The Katie Piper Foundation. ‘We’ve fundraised together, and she’s very vocal online about tell her story, so bringing Sophie into Unseen was kind of a no brainer.’
"It's a story of not just childhood, but adulthood as well"
Also sharing her story is Livi Deane - who Katie gushes is 'an amazing woman.'
‘It’s funny how you meet people,’ Katie laughs. ‘I’d been having a lot of eye surgery and it hadn’t really worked out, so I was feeling a bit down. And then suddenly this glamorous girl came up on my Instagram explore page, with blonde hair and one eye, and I thought ‘She reminds me of me.’ I went down this rabbit hole of finding out that she had this incredible story – and I thought, I’ve got to speak to this girl.’
At just 12 years old, Livi was diagnosed with a rare eye cancer – and after undergoing over two tough years of chemotherapy, the teen’s eye was removed and replaced with a prosthetic. She decided to challenge beauty norms by posting a picture without her prosthetic eye and Livi found herself going viral, eventually ending up on Katie’s For You page.
‘There’s so many complex facets to Livi’s story’ Katie explains. ‘On one hand, there’s the story where she’s a young child having a disease that’s so terrible, and her family are going through it with her as she misses all those formative years of being a teenager. She has chemotherapy, she loses her hair, she loses her eye… But then there’s this woman who, as an adult, is so striking and peaceful. And just this week, she’s given birth and become a mum. It’s not just adulthood, but it’s childhood as well.’
What is the future of The UnSeen?
For Katie, being able to share these women’s stories through The UnSeen is an honour – and one she’s working hard to get right.
‘Writing a book is hard anyway, but if it’s about a personal time in your life, it can be an incredibly challenging process,’ explains Katie. ‘Of course there’s some remarkable and amazing moments, but it can be difficult. So I do feel like it’s a big responsibility, especially for people who’ve never engaged in any kind of publicity or platform before. It’s the whole journey – and I’m really determined to try and get it right.’
By giving a platform to those who have previously been unheard, The UnSeen aims to bring even more diversity to society – creating a world where every single person feels seen. And having been in the public eye for over a decade, Katie shares that there’s been huge improvements when it comes to inclusion and representation – but that there’s always more we can do.
‘I think it’s important to appreciate how far we’ve come,' she says. 'I think if I’d have pitched this idea 10 years ago, it would have been turned down. The truth is I think it would have been "They’re not famous, so who wants to read this?" Whereas now, because of social media, we’ve got people power. We have people saying, "Actually, we are interested in this." On the whole, people are good. We’re compassionate and empathetic. You can always more further forward, but we’ve taken some real positive steps.’
And whilst Ellie, Sophie and Livi are the first three chosen to share their stories, Katie hopes that The UnSeen will become the platform where hundreds of people can share their own journeys – and finally feel both heard and seen.
Talking about her hopes for UnSeen, Katie shares, ‘I would encourage other people to submit their stories – and it’s not just women that I’m working with! It would be great to have a real diverse mix of people.’
The first book in Katie Piper's The Unseen, Against All Odds by Ellie Goldstein will be published by SPCK in September 2023.
If you're an aspiring author hoping to be considered for publication, email theunseen@spck.org.uk.