We looked at books and worked with exactly what it is that makes them: Ink, paper and a little bit of glue. And we came up with the idea, if we couldn’t alter the books themselves, then we could add to them in a way consumers, retailers and publishers were familiar with.

We call it Mailbooks For Good - a new type of dust jacket created in partnership with publisher Random House. When readers have finished reading their newly purchased books, they are instructed to flip the cover inside out, turning the book into a pre-paid, pre-addressed parcel. The parcels are then ready to send directly to the charity for distribution.

Over time we refined things, with different stocks, tabs and eventually designs. Printing knives/nets were created, folds and perforations perfected.

Special attention was paid to art direction and design. The dust jackets had to serve as beautiful covers in store, protect the books in the post and feel special to their recipients.

Aside from internal resources the technology hasn’t required any further funding.

Mailbooks For Good is a charity platform available to any publisher, retailer or charity anywhere in the world. Easily adjustable to fit any book and postal service, the idea is completely universal and culturally neutral.

The innovation has the capacity to breathe new life into what many people view as a stagnant industry in book publishing. For charities worldwide, and literacy as a whole, the idea has the capacity to provide education, entertainment and the potential to change lives.

Mailbooks For Good is already running in Sydney with a launch collection of five different adults and children’s titles by prominent Australian authors including Peter Fitzsimons, and the awarded Nick Earls and Stephen Dando-Collins.

The innovation is pending global patent with an international and in partnership with Random House an international roll-out is planned for the near future.