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Trapeze is publishing The Wild Book, a "gloriously retro" guide to outdoor activities hoping to help readers unleash their inner child.
Anna Valentine, publisher of Trapeze, bought world rights, all languages, from Rory Scarfe at Furniss Lawton in the book by David Scarfe to be published on 2nd November 2017 in hardback and e-book.
The book's aim is to inspire readers to "rediscover the outdoors and feel truly alive" through fun and easy practical activities, says Trapeze.
Calls to action in the book with this in mind include: "Fly through the air on your homemade tree swing, feel the rush of water as you speed down your slip ‘n’ slide, taste the delicious smokiness of your campfire-cooked meal and learn more about the natural world around you."
Other activities include sleeping under the stars and making something by hand.
Valentine said the "timely" book tapped into several trends: digital detoxing, practical mindfulness and nostalgia.
"I’m very excited about this timely book, which taps into three trends we’ve seen emerge over the course of the year: digital detox, practical mindfulness and nostalgia. At a time when our experiences have shrunk down to the size of the screens in front of our eyes, the stunningly designed The Wild Book will re-acquaint us with the wonders that await in the outside world," she said. "I, for one, will certainly be switching off my mobile in favour of running, jumping, crafting, cooking and wandering my way through The Wild Book this autumn."
Outdoors enthusiast Scarfe, from West Sussex, is the author and illustrator of several books, including a book on quirky LEGO projects with No Starch Press.
He said: "When I was young, I loved nothing more than getting outdoors in search of adventure and fun. However, like so many of us, I lost that intrepid spirit as I grew up. This book is an invitation to recapture that youthful essence: to get out into nature, discover new places and learn new skills. I hope readers will find that as exhilarating and life-affirming as I did."
Another title embracing the combination of life outdoors and practical skills was Lars Mytting's surprise Christmas hit Norwegian Wood (MacLehose Press). The book about chopping, stacking and drying wood "the Scandinavian Way" enjoyed bumper sales and was named 2016's British Book Industry Awards Non-Fiction Book of the Year.
In a similar vein, The Wild Book also follows the "microadventures" movement started by Alistair Humphries, about encouraging time-poor urbanites to enjoy cheap and easy adventures (like sleeping on a hilltop) in the great outdoors. It spawned a hashtag of the same name and a book published by William Collins in 2014. Its author is now working on two children's books with Big Picture Press.