Thorsons bags Dutch sensation Pastoor's guide to working smart

HarperCollins imprint Thorsons has bagged Dutch sensation Rick Pastoor's bestselling book on working smart.  

HarperCollins has secured UK and Commonwealth (excluding Canada) rights to GRIP: The Art of Working Smart (and Getting to What Matters Most). Adam Humphrey will be publishing in the UK and Commonwealth (excluding Canada, exclusive Europe) at HarperNonFiction and Tim Burgard in the US for HarperCollins Leadership for everything else. The deal was negotiated in the UK with Rebecca Carter and in the US with Chad Luibl at Janklow and Nesbit. It will be available in English for the first time on 3rd February 2022. 

GRIP was an overnight hit in Holland after its original publication in 2019. HarperCollins said the book has sold 75,000 copies in Holland, remarking that this is "an impressive achievement considering Holland’s market is a tenth of the size of the UK’s". The publisher described the work as a "fresh and forgiving guide that helps you get things done and free up time for what’s important to you".

Humphrey said: "Rick’s book has been a sensation in the Netherlands where it became an overnight bestseller and I’m convinced its universal themes will deliver a breakout success across the UK and beyond. With time at a premium, inboxes over-flowing, diaries crammed, and a work/life balance harder than ever to achieve, there’s never been a better time to take control of your life, get a grip on your productivity, and achieve your goals."

Pastoor added: "I’m touched that my book, and the way of working that I live by which inspired it, has really helped people get their lives together. Since the day it launched, I’ve been asked for the international version and I'm thrilled to be able to work together with Adam Humphrey and his team at HarperCollins to bring it abroad. Our work is more complicated than ever and since COVID we have been relying on our own skillset to get work done and stay sane. In these challenging times I believe we can use all the help we can get, and I can't wait to see how GRIP will help readers unlock their potential in the UK and beyond."