The Pound Project releases new story on burnout by Buchanan

Independent publisher The Pound Project is running a campaign for a book on stress, survival and the healing power of books by Daisy Buchanan. 

Buchanan’s book includes a foreword written by comedian, actress and writer Isy Suttie.

The publisher explained: “At the end of 2020, Daisy Buchanan was burnt out. Books came to the rescue. In Burn Before Reading, Daisy explores the writers who have helped her through the toughest mental challenges of her life and shaped her as the award-winning author she is today. Visiting stories that delight us as children or those that shock, challenge and change who we are, this book is for everyone. It reminds us that reading is good for your mind and soul, with expert tips on how to cultivate your own habit.” 

The campaign is currently live and runs until 27th September. The publisher releases just one short story or essay at a time. It is usually £1 to hear or read a book online, or £5 to buy the book in print. Its products are only available during each campaign and the company only prints what it sells.   

Buchanan said: “I want to celebrate the many gifts that being a reader has given me, and I also want to reach out to all readers—especially any reluctant readers, anyone who might have felt discouraged at school, or fallen out of the habit. I want to challenge the idea that reading is somehow ’virtuous’ or ’earnest’, that it’s the hobby you ’should’ do. I want to make it the hobby you want to do. Reading can make us feel connected, nourished, moved and even joyful. It’s just a matter of meeting the right book.  

“Collectively, I think so many of us have experienced some form of burnout, or have struggled to keep our mental health on an even keel. It’s about how I reached that point in 2020, a year of unprecedented change—and found that reading helped me to focus, stopped me from trudging up the hedonic treadmill and taught me to sit still, figuratively and literally. When we make time for reading stories we love, we begin to learn to prioritise pleasure (this is me giving a fangirl wave to Self Esteem)."  

The Pound Project founder J P Watson added: “Burn Before Reading is central to our original mission—that reading can play an essential role in our emotional and mental wellbeing. Burnout, stress and anxiety can be so painful and so debilitating, but Daisy is reminding us all to take a step back and take time for storytelling, pleasure and ourselves. Books can do that like nothing else. We’re thrilled to be collaborating with Daisy and Isy to share that message.”