Claire Bord has acquired World All Language rights in Making Friends with Anxiety, Making Peace with Depression and Making Friends with the Menopause from Gaia Banks at Sheil Land Associates.

Sarah Rayner is the author of the ‘Making Friends’ series of non-fiction books including Making Friends with Anxiety, Making Peace with Depression and Making Friends with the Menopause. In these companions to mental health, Sarah has drawn on her own experience of anxiety, depression, and the menopause to help others help themselves. 

Claire said:

‘When I first read Making Friends with Anxiety, I found myself thinking this is EXACTLY the kind of book that people living with anxiety need to read. It really is like sitting down with a wise friend over a cup of tea. It’s such a comforting book and really helps to reframe the negative language that surrounds anxiety. This is also true of Making Peace with Depression and Making Friends with the Menopause. I’m delighted that we will be publishing these books at Thread.’

Sarah said:

‘These are difficult experiences for anyone to live through, so I’m keen for the books to reach as wide an audience as possible. I’m thrilled that the titles are going to be published by Thread. From my very first conversation with publisher Clare Bord, I knew she ‘got’ what I wanted to achieve, so I’m extremely excited about working with her and the Thread team. 

‘When I was at my most anxious, I found it hard to read long and complex books. What I was after was something short and easy to read with simple, practical advice on getting myself better. One of the things I found most helpful was talking to others who also suffered – it helped me feel more normal and less overwhelmed. When I wrote Making Friends with Anxiety, I wanted to capture that sense of a conversation, for it to feel like a chat with a friend; warm and approachable and mutually supportive. In addition to the book, I set up a support group online so readers could help one another, which now has thousands of members.

‘The same is true of Making Peace with Depression and Making Friends with the Menopause. For these I asked my friend, GP Dr Patrick Fitzgerald, to join me so we could ensure readers and listeners had access to the most up-to-date clinical expertise, and in Making Peace with Depression, author of The 5:2 Diet Book Kate Harrison also offers her insights. As well as fully revising the existing books for the Thread editions which include bite-sized tips and suggestions from others who share what has worked for them, we will be adding new, bonus content, all with the aim of helping people care for themselves with kindness and compassion.’   

Making Friends with Anxiety, Making Peace with Depression and Making Friends with the Menopause will be published in ebook, paperback, and audio in June 2022.