'A treasure trove of uplifting and accessible practices, to organise your mind and give shape to your day.' Suzy Reading, author of The Little Book of Self-Care 'Easy to read, deeply inspiring and oh so wise, it was the perfect antidote to my in-box overwhelm.' Susannah Conway, author of This I Know: Notes on Unraveling the Heart --- Whether it's a speedy note-to-self, a simple shopping list or a carefully penned thank-you note, putting words on paper is a daily habit - and can also bring us great joy and calm. In this book you'll discover practical ways to turn the ordinary ritual of jotting things down into a remarkable source of peace, focus and confidence. Learn to take pleasure in your correspondence, find fresh delight in your diary writing and put renewed heart in your humble to-do list. Dr Megan C Hayes has spent her academic career exploring the links between writing, identity and happiness - and she is on a mission to encourage us all to pick up a pen and reap the wellbeing benefits in writing.

From bestselling author of The Book of Delights and award-winning poet, a book of lyrical mini-essays celebrating the everyday that will inspire readers to rediscover the joys in the world around us. In Ross Gay’s new collection of small, daily wonders, again written over the course of a year, one of America’s most original voices continues his ongoing investigation of delight. For Gay, what delights us is what connects us, what gives us meaning, from the joy of hearing a nostalgic song blasting from a passing car to the pleasure of refusing the “nefarious” scannable QR code menus, from the tiny dog he fell hard for to his mother baking a dozen kinds of cookies for her grandchildren. As always, Gay revels in the natural world—sweet potatoes being harvested, a hummingbird carousing in the beebalm, a sunflower growing out of a wall around the cemetery, the shared bounty from a neighbor’s fig tree—and the trillion mysterious ways this glorious earth delights us. The Book of (More) Delights is a volume to savor and share.

George Orwell set out ‘to make political writing into an art’, and to a wide extent this aim shaped the future of English literature – his descriptions of authoritarian regimes helped to form a new vocabulary that is fundamental to understanding totalitarianism. While 1984 and Animal Farm are amongst the most popular classic novels in the English language, this new series of Orwell’s essays seeks to bring a wider selection of his writing on politics and literature to a new readership. In Why I Write, the first in the Orwell’s Essays series, Orwell describes his journey to becoming a writer, and his movement from writing poems to short stories to the essays, fiction and non-fiction we remember him for. He also discusses what he sees as the ‘four great motives for writing’ – ‘sheer egoism’, ‘aesthetic enthusiasm’, ‘historical impulse’ and ‘political purpose’ – and considers the importance of keeping these in balance. Why I Write is a unique opportunity to look into Orwell’s mind, and it grants the reader an entirely different vantage point from which to consider the rest of the great writer’s oeuvre. 'A writer who can – and must – be rediscovered with every age.' — Irish Times

“This book is a powerful tool to help you access this deeper realm of consciousness and put it to work enriching your life . . . immediately.” —August Gold, author of The Prayer Chest #1 Bestseller in New Age & Spirituality, Graphology, Parapsychology, Handwriting Analysis, Creativity, and Journaling Janet Conner is a writer, poet, and spiritual field guide, but first and always a deep spiritual soul explorer. Since she discovered how to activate a divine Voice by slipping into the theta brain wave state (border between the conscious and the subconscious) while writing, Janet has dedicated herself to exploring and sharing what it means to live at the vibrant intersection of the visible and the invisible. After hitting rock bottom while escaping domestic abuse, Janet’s inner voice told her to start writing. As she wrote, she gained clarity and strength, and felt an incredible connection to the divine. Today, research scientists are providing peeks into consciousness and how it works. Their findings give clues about what is happening in our bodies, minds, and spirits as we roll pen across paper. Writing Down Your Soul explores this research and instructs how to access the power and beauty of our deepest selves. If you want to engage in a vibrant conversation with the wisdom that dwells just below your conscious awareness, write. Write every day, at approximately the same time, with passion, honesty, and the intention of speaking with and listening to the voice within. “If you think this book is not for you because you are a writer and don’t need another writing book, think again!” —Sherry Richert Belul, author of Say it Now

Psychologists tell us that writing helps us cope with and recover from depression, anxiety, job loss and even heartbreak. Exciting new research shows that we can flourish further by actively choosing to write about positive emotions. Journaling is a hot trend - for personal expression, creativity, self-actualisation and goal-setting. In Write Yourself Happy, author Megan Hayes shows us how, using positive journaling, we can journal more consciously, writing in a way that engages and promotes our most supportive and life-affirming emotions. This practical workbook demonstrates how to put eight of the most commonly experienced positive emotions - joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, awe and love - to work, helping us not simply to feel better, but to live better. Based on ground-breaking research in positive psychology, and backed up by extensive scientific studies, the book includes practical exercises and case studies to inspire readers to shift their focus, use different words, see the world in a subtly different way - and discover how things go right when we write. Praise for Write Yourself Happy: 'The power of positivity comes together with the power of the pen. It is a mighty force for well-being.' - Miriam Akhtar MAPP, Author of Positive Psychology for Overcoming Depression and What is Post-traumatic Growth? 'Write Yourself Happy is filled with practical, applied and scientifically proven methods - it offers readers a direct path to increase positivity and sustain happiness. It is the perfect resource for optimal wellbeing.' - Daniel J Tomasulo, PhD, TEP, MFA, MAPP, Psychologist and author of Character Strengths Matter 'This book is ideal for anyone who is looking for a creative and uplifting path to happiness. Megan's encouraging tone and fun exercises not only boost your mood but also help you to forge a stronger connection with yourself. I highly recommend the read - and doing each of the writing exercises in it!' - Susanna Halonen, The Happyologist® and author of Screw Finding Your Passion 'Forget the pressure to become a perfectionist Photoshop you. Write Yourself Happy is about easing into a reality that already exists and needs nothing more to bloom than pen on paper. Let the scientifically nuanced and reassuring rhythm of your compassionate Sherpa Megan C Hayes steal you away.' - Kristen Truempy, MAPP, Creator of the Positive Psychology Podcast 'Megan artfully combines the world of writing with positive psychology producing this guide to 'writing yourself happy'. Written with a delicate balance of scientifically based wellbeing advice alongside an open playfulness that allows the reader to consider and interpret things for themselves. It is thanks to reading this book that my clients, and of course myself, enjoy the many benefits of Positive Journaling.' - Samantha Spafford, Psychologist and Director of Positive Mind Works

'I adore this book! ... An Experiment in Leisure shows us the burning, intense, messy beauty of youth and what it means to be alive' Maxine Peake 'Can I get a refund?' I asked the bus driver. 'You taking the piss, love?' It's the eve of Brexit, and Grace is supposed to have what she wants. She's swapped West Yorkshire for north London, her accent carefully edited. Her friends drink beer out of artful tins. She makes flat whites for people with berets. She's found a psychoanalyst. But this fantasy of metropolitan cool is turning out to be more costly than she thought and Grace faces complicated crises of identity, class, sexuality and geography. Can she remember how to love? Can she find a way home? 'A dizzying yet powerful read' Claire-Louise Bennett, author of Checkout 19

With more than 20 years in publicity under her belt, Kim Yorio has worked with the biggest names in the food world, including Julia Child, Jamie Oliver, Ina Garten and Rachael Ray, as well as esteemed brands like Calphalon, Sur La Table, Nudo Italia and Taste #5. Now, with this must-have guide to success, you can get the secrets on how to make your cookbook stick out from the pack from a culinary marketing master. Whether you're a restaurateur looking for promotions or a great home chef hoping to share your exceptional recipes, with Kim's years of knowledge printed on the page you'll be able to create the bestselling cookbook of your dreams. Kim instructs on everything from what cookbook concept is right for you, how to select the perfect recipes, how to have a captivating voice on paper and of course, how to market your book once its published. With The Joy of Writing a Great Cookbook, Kim Yorio leaves no stone left unturned, putting you on the straight path to a bestseller.

Learn how to take your work to the next level with this informative guide on the craft, business, and lifestyle of writing With warmth and humor, Paulette Perhach welcomes you into the writer’s life as someone who has once been on the outside looking in. Like a freshman orientation for writers, this book includes an in-depth exploration of all the elements of being a writer—from your writing practice to your reading practice, from your writing craft to the all-important and often-overlooked business of writing. In Welcome to the Writer’s Life, you will learn how to tap into the powers of crowdsourcing and social media to grow your writing career. Perhach also unpacks the latest research on success, gamification, and lifestyle design, demonstrating how you can use these findings to further improve your writing projects. Complete with exercises, tools, checklists, infographics, and behind-the-scenes tips from working writers of all types, this book offers everything you need to jump-start a successful writing life.

Shows all writers how effective writing can beas natural as telling a story to a friend, and as easy as daydreaming.

'This book is a not-so-small joy in itself.' NIGELLA LAWSON 'Parkinson has the gift of making you look with new eyes at everyday things. The perfect daily diversion.' JOJO MOYES 'Always funny and frank and full of insight, I absolutely love Parkinson's writing.' DAVID NICHOLLS 'I loved this book . . . Parkinson's writing transports you to unexpected places of joy and comfort . . . these pages contain happiness.' MARINA HYDE 'The twenty-first century feels a lot more bearable in Parkinson's company.' CHARLOTTE MENDELSON Drawn from the successful Guardian column, these everyday exultations and inspirations will get you through dismal days. Hannah Jane Parkinson is a specialist in savouring the small pleasures of life. She revels in her fluffy dressing gown ('like bathing in marshmallow'), finds calm in solo cinema trips, is charmed by the personalities of fonts ('you'll never see Comic Sans on a funeral notice'), celebrates pockets and gleefully abandons a book she isn't enjoying. Parkinson's everyday exaltations - selected from her immensely successful Guardian column - will utterly delight. FEATURES BRAND NEW MATERIAL 'A compendium of delights.' OBSERVER 'Delightful . . . a love letter to those little moments of bliss that get us through the daily grind.' RED