Kings Road launches Lagom wellness imprint

Kings Road Publishing is launching a new food and wellness imprint in 2018 run by Natalie Jerome and called Lagom.

The "boutique" imprint - the logo for which uses the strapline "books for a better, balanced life" - will be "imbued with the Scandinavian Lagom approach to life – moderation, consideration and contentment", according to KRP.  

It has hired Ebury Publishing editor Morwenna Loughman to be commissioning editor for the list, supporting Lagom publisher Jerome. 

Designed to complement Blink Publishing and John Blake adult non-fiction lists, the new imprint will be home to 15 books a year, across food, diet and fitness, mind, body and spirit, parenting, popular psychology and mindfulness, which will "nourish the body and mind and help people flourish". It's aim, according to KRP, is to be "the destination publisher" for authors seeking a bespoke author experience "in the spirit of Lagom, with calm consideration and kindness".

While Lagom, the term (pronounced "lah-gom"), has been predicted to be the next big wellness trend to follow "hygge" - books on the subject are forthcoming from publishers including Octopus, CICO Books, Headline Home, Quadrille, Summersdale, HarperCollins and Ebury Press - publisher Jerome said it is far more than a flash-in-the-pan buzzword.  

“One of our cornerstone values at Bonnier Publishing is the idea of doing things differently and our new food and wellness list Lagom will be absolutely infused with that sentiment. An emphasis on a balanced lifestyle isn’t a trend or buzzword for us (though it helps that as a Swedish owned group we can try to claim a sense of ownership of the word!). Our books and authors will be treated and published in the spirit of Lagom, with calm consideration and kindness," she said. 

"We’re a boutique list, small in number but hopefully noisy and big in impact! If you’re a Lagom author you’re one of a few, not one of many. As such you’ll receive the care and attention of an incredibly talented publishing team who together also have an outstanding understanding of social media and the digital space.

"Our ambition is to be the destination publisher for authors and agents looking for a bespoke, curated publishing experience in a global, competitive marketplace and to publish books that truly help people change and shape their lives for the better.”

Loughman joins KRP as commissioning editor for Lagom. As editor at PRH’s Ebury Publishing and before that Harper Collins' 4th Estate she has focused on wellbeing, health, psychology and personal development. She said: “I am so thrilled to be joining the exceptional team at Bonnier Publishing, and can't wait to start building what I know will be such an exciting new imprint. I have loved my time at Ebury and learnt a huge amount from a very talented group of people, and I’m delighted to be joining another brilliant team at a time of huge growth and dynamism.”

KRP signed the memoir of 16-year-old disability campaigner and social media star Lewis Hine earlier this year. His book, to be released next April under Lagom, will be about surviving and thriving against the odds after hee was diagnosed with a brain tumour when he was a toddler.

Other titles for the new imprint include: 15 Minutes to Happiness by psychotherapist Richard Nicholls, creator of self-help podcast "Motivate Yourself". Publishing in December 2017, it will look at the science behind what works and what doesn’t when it comes to making ourselves happy;  Remember This When You’re Sad by former Buzzfeed social media editor Maggy Van Eijk, a memoir describing her struggles with her mental health set for 2018; My Fussy Eater by parenting food blogger Ciara Attwell, slated for March 2018; and Eye Can Write by Jonathan Bryan, the memoir of a boy with locked in syndrome coming in July 2018.

Bonnier Publishing has world rights in all titles.