Picador picks up Carr's 'profound' book on loneliness

Picador has picked up a “profound” book about loneliness and reconnection by Sam Carr.

Assistant editor Marissa Constantinou acquired world rights for All the Lonely People from Doug Young at Pew Literary. It will be published in March 2024.

The synopsis explains: “All the Lonely People opens up a profound conversation about a universal emotion and questions what we can do to reconnect in a disjointed world. Here you’ll find stories of love and loss, of trauma and hope, told from care homes, living rooms, cafeterias, and kitchens. In these settings Sam Carr has collected hours of conversations with people young and old, from across the globe, and found that whilst each of their stories is utterly unique, they are all born out of the same desire for human connection. As Carr interweaves these stories with his own personal narrative, we are given a rare opportunity to listen and learn from those who are often forgotten, misplaced or misjudged.”

Constantinou said: “I was struck by Sam’s storytelling from the very first page of All the Lonely People. He shines a light on an emotion we all experience, yet often shy away from, and the result is a compellingly bold and nuanced book that I couldn’t help but fall in love with. Interwoven through the case studies is Sam’s own story of how loneliness has touched the people in his life, and this personal thread is what makes All the Lonely People truly special. As we sit with Sam in an armchair talking to someone in an elderly home, or jog with him through the woods where he last saw his uncle, we learn about love and how we can reconnect once it’s lost.”

Carr is a psychologist and social scientist with the Department of Education & Centre for Death & Society at the University of Bath. He was the director of the Loneliness Project, a £400,000 project that formed part of a partnership between the University of Bath and retirement community provider Guild Living. He has written extensively in the media about his research, publishing dozens of articles and regularly appearing on TV and radio.

He commented: “I’ve spent my working life excavating how we ’live’ and ’experience’ different shades of loneliness. It is an inevitable part of our journey and if we pay careful attention, it leaves footprints, and casts shadows over most life stories. I am honoured and excited to have been given the opportunity to work with Picador to bring such stories to life, exploring an important part of what it means to be human.”

Young added: “In All the Lonely People, Sam Carr addresses loneliness head on — a problem which affects us all at some point in our lives, yet we barely talk about it because we don’t have the words. After years of research and listening to people talk about their loneliness, Sam wants to help us find those words. He offers no easy solutions: loneliness is not, after all, a disease that can be cured. But in recognising that the crucial factor leading to loneliness is not just being alone but what we are alone with, All the Lonely People does offer a way out of the vicious circle.”