Yellow Kite acquires Nagisa Tatsumi's The Art of Discarding

Yellow Kite has acquired the book said to have first sparked Japan’s tidying revolution: The Art of Discarding by Nagisa Tatsumi.

The book inspired millions of Japanese people to declutter their homes when it first published in 2000, selling a million copies in its first six months in Japan alone according to Yellow Kite. Marie Kondo, who went on to author The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying, said the book “completely opened my eyes to reorganisation” when she first read it at the age of 15.

The Art of Discarding has been translated into English for the first time to urge more readers to reflect on "our attitude to possessing things and to have the courage to get rid of all the stuff we really don’t need". It describes practical techniques to help readers learn to let go of stuff as well as advice on acquiring less in the first place. Tatsumi also takes readers through a step-by-step process for getting rid of superfluous household items, including clothes and books, for a "calmer" life that's "free of clutter".

Liz Gough, publisher at Hodder imprint Yellow Kite, bought world English language rights directly from the Japanese publisher Takarajimasha Inc. The book is scheduled for publication in March 2017.

Gough said: “We all know that tidying and decluttering will bring us joy, but actually throwing stuff out is really difficult – as a bit of a hoarder myself, I know just how hard it is! This book is truly life-changing. When I read Marie Kondo’s book and she described the powerful effect The Art of Discarding had had on her, I knew this was a book that deserved a wider audience. Nagisa Tatsumi’s message is both inspiring and practical. She argues that with fewer things around us, we can find the space to think about how we live our lives and what makes us truly happy. This is the perfect Yellow Kite book.”