Phosphorescence

Phosphorescence, the national bestseller by Julia Baird, is a beautifully intimate and inspiring exploration of how we can discover and sustain our internal happiness, often described as the 'light within,' to guide us through even the darkest times.

Julia Baird delves into the essence of what it means to find lasting joy and contentment. Rather than just fleeting moments of happiness, Baird investigates how we can hold onto that light, drawing on her own experiences and the science behind happiness. The book intertwines personal reflections with scientific insights, offering a roadmap for nurturing kindness, forging meaningful relationships, and living with a sense of purpose. The journey Baird takes readers on is both profound and accessible, highlighting the core truths about contentment and the practices that can help us retain it, even when faced with life's inevitable challenges.

As Baird confronts her own adversities, including illness and loss, she brings a deeply personal perspective to the universal quest for happiness. Her lyrical prose provides comfort and guidance, offering readers methods to thrive amidst life’s unpredictability. How do we continue to glow in the face of darkness? How do we bloom in the muck and grit of everyday existence? With tenderness and wisdom, Baird invites us to explore these questions and find our own path to inner light.

Phosphorescence is an achingly beautiful and profoundly inspiring treatise on the pursuit of awe, wonder, and purpose, penned by one of today’s most perceptive writers.

'Like spending an evening with a wonderful friend, with unlimited time and a glass of good wine in hand … A beautiful and rallying read' The Australian

'Julia Baird's new, beautiful consideration of the things that glow through the murk … a book such as this one – one that aims to provoke delight and wonder and comfort, that is at its heart trying to find answers or modes of connection, or light – is of the moment in the best possible way' The Guardian

'Intelligent and emotionally astute ... Many will find sustenance in reading it' Sydney Morning Herald

'That is the beauty of this profound book. It transports you into all the deep, inner yearnings you've had for a long time, and then articulates them for you ... I could rave about this gem of a book forever. We need this book. You need this book. It is the perfect gift for us all right now. It is perfect' Better Reading

'Julia Baird is an alchemist, turning the dross of her life's harshest blows into shimmering prose. Both timeless and timely, this is a book of wisdom and wonder.' Geraldine Brooks, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of March and Caleb's Crossing

'This book is a love letter to the world by a brilliant writer who nearly left it. Julia Baird has gone into the depths of human experience-her own, and others'-and come back with this luminous and profound celebration of people and the planet. Phosphorescence is a treasure to read and re-read your whole life.' Anna Funder, author of All That I Am and Stasiland

'I loved this book. A cupped hand full of light in a darkened world. A collection of glittering curios. I'll hold it close in trying times.' Cal Flyn, author of Islands of Abandonment