William Heinemann acquires book on 'degrowth' by Jason Hickel

William Heinemann will publish Less is More: How Degrowth Will Save the World by economic anthropologist Jason Hickel.

Tom Avery, editorial director, acquired world rights from Zoe Ross at United Agents. The book will be published in August 2020. 

Hickel's book explores the idea that to tackle climate change, society needs to move away from capitalism and the current system of "perpetual growth". He asks what such an economy looks like, and traces a pathway to a post-capitalist economy that could be more just, more caring and more fun. 

Less is More also features a foreword by Rupert Read and Kofi Klu of Extinction Rebellion.

Hickel said: "Our current global crises are forcing us to question our existing economic model. We need to build an economy that is organised around human wellbeing and ecological stability, rather than endless capital accumulation. Growth requires ever-increasing levels of extraction, production and consumption, just to stay afloat. But who is it really benefiting?

"Less is More offers a vision for an achievable alternative. Degrowth has nothing to do with scarcity and puritanism. It is about flourishing. It is about recovering a sense of connection with the living world. I'm enormously excited about this book. It points the way to a real paradigm shift that can help us to solve our hardest problem."

Hickel is originally from Swaziland and spent a number of years living with migrant workers in South Africa, studying patterns of exploitation and political resistance in the wake of Apartheid. Now based in London, he is the author of three books, including most recently The Divide: A Brief Guide to Global Inequality and its Solutions (also William Heinemann).