Renata Kaminska

Renata Kaminska is a passionate Polish-British writer, philanthropist, and creative mind behind the educational adventures of Hector the Dog. Renata Kaminska is dedicated to improving out-of-school education, fostering empathy among young people, and developing critical thinking skills through her “Hector & Friends” project. Renata Kaminska is known for her unique approach to touching difficult topics for children and sharing valuable knowledge and guidelines through adventurous and engaging plots starring Hector the Dog.

Her commitment to positive change has earned her accolades, including the University of Warsaw Entrepreneur of the Year award in the Social Entrepreneur category and recognition as a finalist in the BOLD Awards III competition in the Crowdfunding Projects 2022 category in Venice.

Believing deeply in the importance of education and the power of storytelling, Renata Kaminska has authored a collection of educational children's books that invite young readers on journeys filled with imagination, life lessons, and educational adventures.

As part of the 'Hector & Friends' project, Renata publishes educational books for children and dog lovers - and runs various workshops on topics such as empathy development, creative writing and multiculturalism under the auspices of Westminster Children's University. Her books help parents discuss difficult topics with their child based on their own value system and knowledge.

Her first book entitled “Hector, A Dog' Story” has been read in more than 16 countries across 5 continents and the story helps to develop empathy in children as well as breaking the taboo of difficult topics in children's literature such as war, death, attitudes to God, discrimination and abandonment. It was also featured in various magazines and publications including Indian Robin Age, Australian Dog Lover, Your Dog UK Magazine and others.

The second book entitled "Hector and the Time Machine" is a fast-paced, adventurous story about the journey of the dog named Hector, raising awareness of the diversity of cultures, contemporary issues and threats such as pandemics, climate change, Brexit, the BML movement, multiculturalism, etc.

The third book entitled "Hector and Cyber Adventures" Hector dives into the cyber world and learns all about staying safe online. With his friend Milli, a digital detective dog, Hector explores the police department and discovers how to deal with online threats. Together, they tackle real-world problems such as cyberbullying and scams, while learning about the internet, AI, and mobile technology. They share essential tips for young readers on how to navigate the digital world with care. This book is a must-read for children who are eager to become cyber-smart!

Renata is the initiator of the charity project 'Hector and Friends for Ukraine', in which she organised the translation of the book 'Hector, a dog story' into Ukrainian (ukr. Hektor, Sobacha Istoriya). She also donated 1,300 copies of the book free of charge to Ukrainian children on Children's Day. The books, donated through organisations that help children, went to various locations across Europe including (among others) care institutions and psychological counselling centres in Poland and schools in Ukraine, England and France.