Best-selling author, Netflix hitmaker and ‘Queen of Clean’ Marie Kondo has jumped on board with UK’s Bonnier Books’ wellbeing magazine Lagom for two books. The first book explores Japanese customs and traditions and how they have shaped her life. .
Editor-in-Chief Carol Tonkinson signed the second title “Letter from Japan” and British and Commonwealth rights from Neil Gudowitz of Gudowitz & Company.
Kondo, of course, is the author of the book that became a global tidying and organizing sensation, published in the UK in 2014 by Ebury’s publication Vermilion as The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. The book, and its sequel featuring the trademarked KonMari method, have sold more than 400,000 copies in the UK, and the 2019 hit Netflix series Tidying Up with Marie KonMari has sold more than 400,000 copies since the first book was published. Sales increased after five years. Her titles have sold over 13 million copies worldwide and are sold in 44 book markets.
Lagom said that the origins of Marie Kondo’s latest work stem from the growing interest in Kondo herself through her books and streaming series, including “burning questions from media and readers around the world about Marie Kondo’s Japanese perspective.” He said that he gained from this. Readers and viewers were fascinated by what they learned about Marie’s early life, family, her early professional career, and her experiences with Shintoism. ”
Kondo said, “Letters from Japan is the most personal book for me to date. When I first met overseas readers in 2014, I learned about life in Japan and the Japanese culture everywhere I went. I remember getting asked a lot of questions about customs and daily life. I always wanted to take time to think about the elements of Japanese tradition that influenced me and that I wanted to share with the world. ”
The author added another motivation for writing this book. “My husband, Takumi, and I have three children. With the unpredictable and rapid changes in today’s world, we wanted to document and preserve these elements of Japanese culture and customs for our children. They will grow up to learn and understand more than I did, but I hope this book will ensure that these basics of Japanese life are included in their understanding of the world around them. I will try my best to do so. ”
Tonkinson said, “(Kondo’s) ability to distill the wisdom of Japanese traditions into insights and practices for people around the world is unique. Her integrity and ability to share Japanese culture with all of us in a meaningful way is unique.” The desire to do so is precious. The letter from Japan is truly beautiful.”
Letter for Japan is scheduled to be released in September 2025.
