Doubleday Canada To Publish Solitude By Governor General's Award-winner Michael Harris

TORONTO, April 15, 2015 /CNW/ - Doubleday Canada is delighted to announce the acquisition of Solitude, a new work of non-fiction by Michael Harris. The deal for Canada English language rights was struck with Anne McDermid by editor-in-chief Martha Kanya-Forstner. Doubleday Canada will publish Solitude in partnership with Random House Books in the UK.

Harris won the 2014 Governor General's Award for his debut, the highly acclaimed The End of Absence, an exploration of the ways in which the internet has changed our lives – practically, socially, intellectually and emotionally. Now, in Solitude, Harris looks more closely at the importance of time spent alone.

Solitude is increasingly difficult to come by in our world of constant connection. Yet it is through solitude that we develop and enrich our inner lives, becoming more creative, more thoughtful individuals. It is often in solitude that we have our best ideas, make our biggest decisions, and experience the world most profoundly. And paradoxically it is often through solitude that we come to appreciate the significance that others have for us.

Our online lives are so massively 'social' that a conversation about why solitude matters has become deeply necessary. This book confronts an often-ignored problem at the very heart of the zeitgeist. It combines the practical insights and meticulous research of the best smart thinking books with a unique narrative voice that truly sets it apart. This is a superbly executed work by a writer of prodigious talent.

Martha Kanya-Forstner says: "Michael asks questions of profound importance, and looks for answers with infectious curiosity, sharp insight, and remarkable sensitivity and balance. Solitude promises to be a work full of fascinating stories, big ideas and ambition. We couldn't be more pleased to be publishing such an exciting and satisfying book."

Michael Harris says: "Now is exactly the moment when we need a conversation about how and why to be alone; never before has solitude been such a scarce commodity. And I'm so happy to be working with the extraordinary team at Penguin Random House, both in Canada and in the U.K."

SOURCE Penguin Random House Canada Limited

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