In San Francisco, the twined forces of innovation and spiritual inspiration have long incubated the fresh thinking that influences national culture and imagination. Into this dynamic environment, comes HarperOne's new line, HarperElixir, which seeks to deliver a fresh perspective about the very essence of the human spirit from ancient wisdom to modern life. Contributing to what the publisher calls a new "vibrant and growing conscious living movement," HarperElixir's books bring together the best of today's new thinking for transforming oneself, others and the times in which we live.
"Forming HarperElixir is an effort to zero in on a distinct category that has long been one of the cornerstones of our business," said HarperOne senior v-p and publisher Mark Tauber. The line will draw on HarperOne's publishing and marketing team and its 39 years of experience publishing such spiritual luminaries as Paulo Coelho, Marianne Williamson, Deepak Chopra, Ram Dass, Jean Houston, Gary Zukav and James Van Praagh. "Body, mind, and spirit books have been and continue to be a growing area in the U.S. and overseas, and we feel it is time to sharpen our focus," Tauber said.
Industry veteran Claudia Riemer Boutote is leading HarperElixir as senior v-p and publisher. Tauber said he had to look no further than down the hall to find the right publisher for the new line: for the past 11 years, Boutote has headed HarperOne's marketing initiatives, from behind a desk graced with crystals. "Claudia's publishing experience as well as her personal passion for this category made her the natural choice to lead the line."
"We've seen a huge sea change at the interconnection of culture, wellness, fashion, transformation and new thought from retailers to retreat centers, across gender and generation," Boutote said. "We call it hippie meets hipster--people who see themselves as spiritual, mindful, compassionate, curious who prefer the artisanal to the machine-made, who want to find truth, meaning, miracles." The name Elixir, from the Arabic word aliksir, was chosen because it is a magical substance that both heals and offers universal secrets--it is the root word of alchemy, intention, the philosophers' stone and the mysteries of life.
HarperElixir titles will have a modern, artisan's approach in both content and package geared towards this sophisticated seeker audience. Its first list features The Toltec Art of Life and Death by the spiritual leader and bestselling author Don Miguel Ruiz and Barbara Emrys; Persephone Rising by Carol Pearson, which some are calling a modern Women Who Run with the Wolves; Turn Your Mate into Your Soulmate by bestselling author Arielle Ford; and two adult "Coloring Books for the Soul," Sacred Symbols and Sacred Nature, both illustrated by Lydia Hess. (For more about the first list of five titles, see below.)
Libby Edelson, formerly of Ecco, has joined HarperElixir as senior editor and will draw on her background in literary fiction, narrative nonfiction and cookbooks to find the books that fit the HarperElixir vision of being "unusual in their step-by-step, intention-driven execution." Already Boutote and Edelson have signed up 18 titles. Future lists will feature works that explore therapeutic spirituality, the intersection where science meets soul, modern takes on classic divination systems such as astrology and tarot, "Now Age" style, and holistic, ancient beauty and wellness practices from essential oils to kundalini yoga.
Boutote called it "a rare privilege to begin a new venture in publishing," and said it is "a very great honor to launch HarperElixir with The Toltec Art of Life and Death by Don Miguel Ruiz and Barbara Emrys. Our motto at HarperElixir is 'Past, Present, Possible,' and Don Miguel Ruiz's life and work, as do the rest of our authors, reflects that spirit. Our hope is that readers of all of our books will be transported and transformed."