Anisa Kabir is a UEA Psychology student who has founded social Enterprise Novelti, a pre-loved book subscription service. Here, Anisa shares the story behind the ‘blind date with a book’ boxes
My name is Anisa Kabir, and I am a Bangladeshi-British psychology student currently studying at the University of East Anglia (UEA). My journey with Novelti began when I applied to become one of the UEA Change Makers in collaboration with the Enterprise Centre. I was fortunate to be selected as one of the finalists.
As an avid bookworm, I’ve always centred books and literacy in everything I do. They fuel my creativity and serve as exercise for my brain. I love the excitement of picking up a new read and immersing myself in a completely different world. I firmly believe that books are the maps we need to navigate towards a brighter future. However, I’ve come to realise the stark reality of our climate crisis, where over 320 million books end up in landfills each year. On one hand, we have a surplus of books, but on the other, 1 in 10 children in the UK don’t own a book, often due to their underprivileged backgrounds. Since literacy is closely linked to academic success, this lack of access limits their future opportunities. This realisation inspired me to create Novelti – to bridge the gap, while promoting sustainability and ensuring a positive impact on both the planet and people.
Novelti is an online subscription-based book box that not only supports children in need through our ‘buy a book, give a book’ scheme, but also prides itself on sustainability. Our books are surplus, second-hand titles that would otherwise have been destined for landfill.
At the moment, I am a third-year psychology student at UEA, focusing on my dissertation when I’m not busy reading! Although I’ve recently travelled the world and returned from my study abroad year in the USA, there’s nowhere quite like Norwich. UEA, in particular, boasts a beautiful green campus and truly feels like a home away from home. It’s incredibly diverse and brimming with opportunities, which is why I was so drawn to it.
A Changemaker is someone who truly connects with the concept of social enterprise, where passion becomes the driving force for creating impactful change in people’s lives, the planet, and communities. I believe that prioritising people and the planet over profit is crucial, as we need more young, innovative minds to build a more sustainable and promising future for all.
To me, sustainability is not just important – it’s a responsibility. We have a duty to protect and care for the planet for future generations. With Novelti, I aim to reduce landfill pollution by recirculating books, because books aren’t meant to be read just once. They should be cherished, shared, and given a second life, making a positive impact on both people and the environment.
Currently, we have an Instagram page and a website for Novelti. Our DMs are always open, and we’re eager to connect with more people to build a community of readers, givers, and supporters!
I definitely have big dreams for Novelti. I aspire to make a long-term impact by reducing landfill pollution, donating as many books as possible, and collaborating with incredible organisations like the National Literacy Trust to make reading more accessible and broaden opportunities for all children. I also hope to extend our reach and improve literacy and education in more deprived parts of the world.
Visit Novelti and follow on Instagram.
Featured images – supplied
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