I have some exciting news for you. As many of you know, for the last year I’ve been writing a book about stress and wellbeing in the aid sector. It is entitled The Vulnerable Humanitarian: Ending Burnout Culture in the Aid Sector.
It is a personal, emotional account – as well as a research piece – about what it means to work in this sector, and what needs to change so that we all take better care of ourselves and each other.
There have been many twists and turns in the creative process, not least having a pandemic happen throughout most of it…..
But now I can announce that the book is ready for pre-order on the website of my publisher, Routledge!
Pre-order? I hear you ask. Yes, the book will likely be published in September – it is now going through the final production phase. Publication will of course be followed by an exceptional, celebratory book launch – probably in London, so I can gather as many people as possible from my sector to join in the fun! (I would love to launch it somewhere else too, like Nairobi – given much of my research was done in Kenya – but let’s see what happens with all the complicated travel restrictions facing us currently.)
What this means is you can buy the book now and wait for a nice surprise to arrive on your doorstep (or in your inbox) some time in September or October. And I would LOVE you to buy the book, whether now or later, and to spread the word about it!
This book has been such a process for me, of leaning in to and expressing my deepest emotions and of reclaiming and using my truest voice: the voice from the heart. It is my deepest desire that the book is of value to humanitarian and development workers, human rights activists and change-makers.
So please, if the description on the Routledge website resonates with you, place an order: and write to me and let me know why you’re buying the book!
Want to know more about what I recommend for individual and collective change to cultivate a healthier organisational culture in the sector? Then join me and a host of other wonderful speakers for the CHS Global Gathering – Living our Values: Culture, Care and Power in Aid Organisations, next Thursday 20th and Friday 21st May. My session is at 1pm UK time on the Friday and you can sign up for the event here.