Yellow Kite acquires first book by Buddhist monk Gelong Thubten

Yellow Kite has acquired the “very special” first book by Buddhist monk and meditation teacher Gelong Thubten.

The Hodder & Stoughton imprint will publish A Monk’s Guide to Happiness in hardback and ebook formats on 13th June. Liz Gough, Yellow Kite and lifestyle publisher at Hodder, bought world rights direct from the author.

Thubten’s debut promises to demystify meditation with easy-to-follow exercises and show how it can bring happiness to busy lives.  “This book will change the way you look at your own mind, at the world and how you interact with it,” the publisher said. “With Thubten’s help you will soon be living with more purpose, a greater sense of connection to others, more energy - and, yes, more happiness.”

Thubten became a monk at the age of 21, turning to Buddhism after suffering from severe anxiety and burnout. He teaches non-religious meditation and mindfulness to everyone from Silicon Valley tech giants and celebrities to prisoners and schoolchildren. He and neuroscientist Ash Ranpura previously collaborated with Ruby Wax on bestselling book How to be Human, the Manual, and are touring the country with a live show.

He said: “I wrote this book because I am passionate about helping people realise they can choose happiness, and I wanted to show how this can be learned through the power of meditation. I want to help bring meditation into the heart of people’s daily lives, not only to reduce stress and gain greater mastery over thoughts and emotions, but also to discover the mind’s deep potential for unconditional compassion and freedom. Happiness is inside you, waiting.”

“This is a very special book,” Gough added. “We all have the capacity for finding true happiness, but we often struggle to find it because we are drowning in a whirlpool of mental activity. In his book Thubten helps us train our minds and tap into our true potential. His warmth and compassion permeate every page. It fills me with happiness to be publishing his first book.”