THE BIO

• Writes books.

• Gives the odd talk.

• Creates a few articles, scripts, and speeches for other people.

• A ragamuffin founder with a tale to tell.

There is a space, between the words, that's full of breathtaking wonder. It invites exploration and discovery, play and creativity. Within its whispers, we craft something of beauty and rich in meaning. A place between the noise that connects us to who we are.

I first heard of this space when I was young, full of daydreams of worlds shaped through imagination. With scrap pieces of paper covered with ink stains, a journey started. I met strangers who became friends; artists and learners who gave me gifts of inspiration and belief. The trail wasn't always easy, and I made mistakes along the way, but it never stopped encouraging me to craft sentences that I hoped would stir the soul and cultivate alternative possibilities.

Today, I write books and occasionally stand up in front of people to share a few tales. There are also rumours that I ghostwrite scripts, speeches, and manuscripts for fellow dreamers. Always seeking imaginative ways to tell stories, an idea formed for a publishing house that placed the wonder of storytelling and its transformative impact at its core. Named after one of my favourite authors, who wrote under a pseudonym in his early years, Boz Publications Ltd started around a dining room table with a few friends. Through smiles and imagination, it embraces discovery and fun, all through the movements of bespoke print and ethical praxis.

Its first book was one of my own, PARADOX, a way to test whether an idea like this could work. Every aspect of the design and production reflected the themes in the story. This re-imagination continued with the accompanying tour. Set within homes and creative spaces, each event invited people to explore the world of PARADOX over food and drink, all centred around community. It was a good test case and has shaped what Boz now offers to those who want something beyond generic templates.

Underpinning everything I do is the belief in how stories shape culture and change our worlds. Maybe that's why I carry a coffee-stained master's degree in Narrative Theory. Beyond the page, I find myself where stories carry weight. For nearly two decades, I co-designed a multi-national charity focused on community engagement and cultural paradigm shifts. Through the ethos of working below the radar, this approach enabled the Distribution of Resources, the Development of Relational Networks, and the Creation of Shared Learning Practices. Over its lifespan, this charity distributed ￡57m, with an internal operating budget of 6%.

These diverse adventures of cultural change also include The United Nations, where I helped shape an awareness programme around the injustice of violence against women and girls. For a well-known international charity, I built a framework that helped track their impact journey. And at a global production house, I developed metrics to see whether stories about social change actually changed anything... spoiler alert, stories do amazing things. This led to an interesting project with The White House Department of Energy, nurturing storytelling that changes cultural habits around climate management. I've also served as a resident storyteller at a primary and junior school, encouraging children to believe that their imagination matters.

Building on my passion around storytelling and authentic impact measurements, I’ve recently developed a modular toolkit for purpose-led businesses and individuals who want to leave a legacy of authentic change. This is something that's been on the crafting table for a long time, and its release comes with an excitement to see where this adventure leads.

This is who I am.

My name is Andy Smithyman, and I live between the words.