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Octopus imprint Aster has scooped a “gripping inspirational memoir” from journalist Claire Nelson, who famously survived being stranded in the desert for days after a hiking fall.
Facing burnout, feeling increasingly lonely and anxious due to her hectic lifestyle, the New Zealander left London and travelled to California to clear her head last year. But she fell and broke her pelvis during a hike through Joshua Tree National Park, struggling for days to stay alive before being found by park rangers. The story of how she got through the experience made headlines around the world.
Her book, Things I Learned from Falling, will see Nelson share “her profoundly moving story of realising what really mattered in life and how much she wanted to survive”.
Stephanie Jackson, publishing director at Octopus, acquired world English rights from Sarah Williams at Sophie Hicks Agency. It will be published on 5th March 2020.
Jackson said: “When Claire Nelson’s incredible story first made headlines, I began to follow her recovery – in awe of her spirit, humanity, courage and resilience. Profoundly moving, enormously relatable and utterly gripping from the very first line, Things I Learned from Falling reminds us how easily life can go off course, how simply we can lose touch with the truly important and that even when we are utterly broken we can be made whole again. By coming so close to death, Claire found a way to embrace life – and the lessons she learned are important for us all.”
Nelson added: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with Stephanie Jackson and the team at Octopus and grateful to be in such excellent hands. I hope that sharing my experiences will resonate with others who have felt stuck or isolated in their lives and let them know they are not alone.”