Because I am a Girl - Couverture souple

TIM BUTCHER is the Daily Telegraph's Middle East correspondent. XIAOLU GUO studied film in Beijing and is an author and filmmaker. JOANNE HARRIS is the author of many novels including Chocolat, which was made into a major film. KATHY LETTE has been a newspaper columnist and television sitcom writer. Her novels have been published in fourteen languages around the world. HENNING MANKELL is the internationally acclaimed author of the Inspector Wallander Mysteries. He devotes much of his free time to working with AIDS charities in Africa. DEBORAH MOGGACH is the author of many successful novels and screenplays. MARIE PHILLIPS studied anthropology and film-making and is the author of Gods Behaving Badly. IRVINE WELSH is the author of nine previous works of fiction, most recently Crime.

Because I am a girl I am less likely to go to school
Because I am a girl I am more likely to suffer from malnutrition
Because I am a girl I am more likely to suffer violence in the home
Because I am a girl I am more likely to marry and start a family before I reach my twenties.

Eight authors have visited eight different countries and spoken to young women and girls about their lives, struggles and hopes. The result is an extraordinary collection of writings about prejudice, abuse, and neglect, but also about courage, resilience and changing attitudes.

Proceeds from sales of this book will go to PLAN, one of the world's largest child-centered community development organisations.