Picador to publish memoir from John Connell

Picador is publishing The Running Book: A Journey through Memory, Landscape and History, a non-fiction book from Irish Book Award-winner John Connell.

The Running Book—part memoir, part essay about Connell‚Äôs passion for running—will be told in 42 chapters as a nod to the 42.2k race through his Longford home. It will publish in October 2020, after Picador acquired world rights from agent Marianne Gunn O‚ÄôConnor.

Picador editorial director Kris Doyle said: "Although I loved the way John Connell described the physical and mental experience of running a marathon, this brilliant book is about so much more than running. John is a deep thinker and a keen observer; I’m confident the mixture of vivid writing about the places he’s been and the people he has met alongside his probing enquiry into history – personal, local and global – and his natural charm, honesty and wit will delight his existing readers and win him many new ones."

Connell added: "The Running Book is a very special book to me as it not only explores my love of running but the complex issue of history, post-colonialism and my home. I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with Picador on this book. They are without doubt one of the best publishers in the world and I feel very privileged to be a part of their story and family. My next few runs will be full of a new-found excitement and possibilities. I’ll have to pause for breath with such great news!"

Connell’s memoir Cow Book was an Irish number-one bestseller and winner of the Popular Non-Fiction Book Award at the Irish BookAwards. He is a multi-award-winning investigative journalist, playwright, documentary filmmaker and producer. His writing has also been published in Granta’s New Writing issue.