Canongate has a new volume of David Whyte’s consolation.
CEO Jamie Byng acquired the worldwide rights (except North America and Canada) for Consolation IIa sequel to the author’s essays in which he explores “our common humanity” through 52 words. The contract was negotiated directly with the author and in association with Many Rivers Press, which publishes all of Whyte’s poetry and prose in North America. Canongate and Many Rivers Press will Consolation II simultaneously as hardcover, e-book and audio in November 2024.
“As with the original volume, Consolation II explores the deeper meaning of 52 everyday words, inviting readers to think more deeply about language and the choices that affect our lives,” the synopsis reads. “Going from the seemingly mundane to the taboo, David Whyte tackles subjects that have impossible meaning. He offers reflection, comfort and meaning by grappling with words from ‘old’ to ‘echo’, from ‘routine’ to ‘burnout.’ Whyte boldly reinterprets them, fully embracing their complexity and never shying away from paradoxes in his search for deeper meaning.”
Whyte commented: “The 52 essays in Consolation II It has been quite an intense, almost out-of-body experience to write about it in the short, almost blurry time of the last six months; but the writing has been spurred on by the humbling demand of many of the quarter of a million readers who bought and shared the first volume: a demand that has been amplified by the enthusiasm and encouragement of Jamie Byng of Canongate, whose own life and relationships have been transformed by the discovery of essays such as ‘Friendship’ and ‘Vulnerability.'”
Byng added: “The publication of David’s first Consolation was one of the most quietly satisfying and personal publishing experiences of recent years. This is partly because it is a brilliant book that has gone through several editions, been translated into many languages, and provoked evangelical responses from readers. But it is also because Consolation is a book that I pick up very regularly and it is therefore a constant part of my life. The publication of a new volume of David’s nourishing essays is therefore a really exciting prospect and I am sure Consolation II will create even more superfans who will want to spread the word about this remarkable and important author.”
