Roman Krznaric launches book on Unbound

Unbound has launched the new book from cultural thinker and philosopher Roman Krznaric titled Carpe Diem Reclaimed.

Krznaric, who is the author of Empathy (Rider) and How to Find Fulfilling Work (Macmillan), turned down an offer from a "major" UK publisher in favour of crowdfunding his new book with publishing platform Unbound, the company has said.

Carpe Diem Reclaimed has raised 20% of its target in 24 hours, with the very first pledge coming from author Philip Pullman, who tweeted his support to say that “Unbound is a marvellous way of publishing.”

Krznaric is offering readers some "unusual" rewards for their financial support, including the chance to be an editorial advisor giving comments on chapter drafts, and the opportunity to receive a real tennis lesson from the author, "formerly one of the world’s leading players of the sport".

Carpe Diem Reclaimed is the first ever cultural biography of 'carpe diem' which is usually translated as 'seize the day'. 'Carpe diem' is an "idea that goes back over two thousand years to the Roman poet Horace, but whose meaning and message has never been fully explored", the publisher has said. In the book, Krznaric argues that "the spirt of 'seize the day' has been hijacked by consumer culture, 24/7 digital entertainment, and the booming mindfulness industry, and that it’s time to claim it back."

Krznaric said: “I’m hugely impressed by Unbound’s team and track record. They’re agile, innovative, quirky and they absolutely love books. I’ve decided to seize the day by embracing the spirit of crowd-funded publishing; I believe there are readers out there who, like me, feel that carpe diem has been stolen from us and that it’s time to claim it back. I want to put my conviction on the line. By crowdfunding the book, I’ll find out whether I’m right.”

C.e.o and co-founder of Unbound, Dan Kieran, added: “We’re delighted to welcome Roman to Unbound. We want authors to connect directly with their audience, and to involve them in the publishing process; what better place for Roman to launch his campaign to seize back one of the most misunderstood ideas in history than Unbound, the platform where readers fund books that matter.”

For more information on the book and available pledge levels, visit the project page at Unbound.