Affirm Press Australia
Australia is home to quite an array of independent publishers, whose emissions deserve to find a wider international audience. Affirm Press is one of them with their foci firmly set on not only capturing and publishing Australian stories in their broad range of fiction but also provide food for thought with their non-fiction books, which nurture big ideas.
Once you have read a few of Affirm Press’ books, the common denominators can be easily pinpointed, i.e. loving attention to detail, editorial commitment and careful curation, which is reflected in most of their non-fictional titles focussing on influencing by delight.
Some reasons examples I found quite enlightening, especially during the travails of recent times, are the books penned by Patrick Lindsay, an ex- journalist and television presenter who eventually reinvented himself as a non-fiction author.
Be Inspired Every Day: 170 Ways to Transform Your Life is an example par excellence for no self-help hocus-pocus, but a guide that sheds light on the reconnection with sources of inspiration that are surrounding us, be it nature, the arts, music and good ole plain human interaction. A book that helps finetune one’s antennae to elevate the ordinary, find calm in the chaos to lift spirits and enrich the mundaneness of the day-to-day.
Be Resilient and Thrive sees Lindsay focus on the journey from being under pressures and stresses to the other side and how to navigate by note merely pushing on, but developing strategies to build and nurture resilience based on simple and common sensical ingredients like the soundness of body, mind and spirit and an action plan.
Anastasia Charisiou’s Simple Self Care zeroes in on the reset and restoring of oneself in a world that is obsessed with productivity, 24/7 availability and success by illustrating the transformative and liberating effects self-compassion can have.
Neuroscientists and podcast host Alexis Fernandez’ Be Bold has the mind and brain at the centre of its elaborations to help unlock the best version of yourself by not only identifying the best course of action but by pro-actively learning and unlearning.
