Phosphorescence

THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER
‘This book is beautiful … Julia Baird has been to the tough edges and gives us light. She writes like a dream.’ MATT HAIG
’Utterly captivating and magical.’ JULIA BRADBURY
‘Luminous and deeply comforting’ KATHERINE MAY
Julia Baird’s intimate study of phosphorescence is full of wisdom and joy; a roadmap for rediscovering our inner light after the darkest of times.
We now know just how much we should treasure the times when we feel happy, content and at peace. When we feel this way we seek out life’s experiences with a sense of optimism and hope. But how do we move forward with life now that everything has changed? Now that we appreciate just how fragile and fleeting these feelings can be? Is it possible to access a light – our own source of phosphorescence – that can sustain us in this brave new world?
In this wise and inspiring book, bestselling author Julia Baird reflects on her encounters with phosphorescence, a luminescent phenomenon found in the nature, and how she was able to cultivate her own ‘inner light’ in the face of a life-threatening illness.
When we spend time in nature, humble ourselves to the mystery of the world, and recognise the ‘soothing power of the ordinary’, we are able to discover hidden sources of strength and resilience. It is these experiences that sustain us, help us place one foot in front of the other and cultivate our own essential light which will light our path in good times and bad.

Reviews

‘This book is about so many things, but it comes down to finding grace in the ordinary and awe in the magnificance of the universe. Every page is about gratitude; every line is a conversation with the reader for ‘puzzling over the nature of things’. Each time I dive into it, I emerge shining.’ KATHRYN MANNIX, author of With the End in Mind
‘A luminously written reminder not to deny the inevitable rough patches of life, but to acknowledge them; to look out, up and around and discover the light that exists, even in the darkest of places.'
KATE SAWYER, author of The Stranding
‘I loved this book. A cupped hand full of light in a darkened world. A collection of glittering curios. I’ll hold it close in trying times.’ CAL FLYN, author of Islands of Abandonment
‘A moving and beautiful exploration of surviving dark and difficult times. Baird’s writing shines light on simple but important truths.’ SUE STUART-SMITH, author of The Well Gardened Mind
‘An enchanting meditation on the importance of nurturing our own phosphorescence’ Caroline Sanderson, THE BOOKSELLER
‘Literary, insightful, curious, pellucid and glinting with insights … a boundlessly generous book, full of little luminous treasures.’ ANNABELL CRABB
‘This book is a love letter to the world by a brilliant writer who nearly left it. Julia Baird has gone into the depths of human experience—her own, and others’ —and come back with this luminous and profound celebration of people and the planet. A treasure to read and re-read your whole life.’ ANNA FUNDER, bestselling author of Stasiland
‘Julia Baird is an alchemist, turning the dross of her life’s harshest blows into shimmering prose. Ravaged by a broken heart and debilitating cancer, she undertakes a careful examination of what might yet sustain her. Both timeless and timely, this is a book of wisdom and wonder.’ GERALDINE BROOKS