Speak Up! is a joyful celebration of 45 speeches by children and teenagers who have stood up for causes they passionately believe in and challenged adults in power to take note.

This collection is testament to the hopefulness and spirit of the next generation, and the positive belief that we can, and should, act to protect the things we love.

From ground-breaking scientific inventions to pleas for the environment, anti-war speeches to incredible testimony of lived experiences, the speeches collected here demonstrate the profound wisdom of youth and why it is important to speak up and out on what concerns us.

‘A society that cuts itself off from its youth severs its own lifeline; it is condemned to bleed to death.’

—Kofi Annan