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Irish people want to be more mindful, if book sales are anything to go by
‘The pressures of the recession have created a real need for peace and reflection.’
SALES OF BOOKS on mindfulness soared last year with 112,000 flying off the shelves, at a value of €1.3 million.
This marks an increase of 28% on 2013 when 87,000 book were sold at a value of €1.1 million.
Tiddy Rowan’s The Little Book of Mindfulness sold 15,000 copies in the Irish market – on a par with notable Christmas bestsellers from Graham Norton, Colm Tóibín and Cecelia Ahern.
The year also saw strong sales from Irish mindfulness expert Padraig O’Morain and classics of the genre such as Thich Nhat Hanh’s Buddhist text The Miracle of Mindfulness.
Maria Dickenson. Managing Director of Dubray Books, said “the pressures of the recession and the challenges of the last few years have created a real need for peace and reflection among Irish book buyers”.
Mindfulness encourages us to be aware only of the moment that we are in, and is proven to reduce stress and promote wellbeing. The increase in sales of these titles indicate a real craving for a calmer, happier life among Irish people.
As well as bestsellers from international authors, Dickenson said a number of Irish writers have helped to “inspire and motivate readers”.
“Maureen Gaffney’s book Flourishing has been a fixture in the Mind Body Spirit bestseller charts since its publication, while Simon Fitzmaurice’s It’s Not Yet Dark provides inspiration to strive for happiness even in the most challenging of circumstances.”
Overall, 9.65 million books were sold in Ireland last year – at a value of €106.3 million. In 2013, 9.59 million books were sold at a value of €106.1 million.
Have you bought any books on mindfulness? If so, did you find them helpful? Let us know in the comments.
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