Honjok

Honjok, co-written with American psycho-therapist Francie Healey, is a work of nonfiction that offers a look at South Korea’s burgeoning solo-lifestyle movement, as well as global iterations of this trend.

Honjok is a term made up of the Korean words "honja" or alone, and "jok" which means group/tribe. Honjok means "tribe of one". It's a lifestyle that first emerged as a buzzword in 2017, when more and more young Koreans began to reject the social collectivistic norms of their society - such as marriage, regular office work (which requires you to operate as a group), the atomic family; and increasingly chose to pursue independent and unconventional lifestyles - such as staying single, living alone and enjoying solo activities including cooking for one, reading, hiking etc.

Living and being alone is a growing, global phenomenon fed in part by the isolation that social media and technology can bring and by more people opting to remain single. Honjok analyses the cultural context of the trend, and the difference between alone and lonely. It also offers insights on solitude and finding your own sense of fulfilment.

Under Welbeck Publishing, which distributes through HarperCollins and other houses, international editions are currently available across the U.K., France, Canada, Germany, Portugal, Spain, Holland, Indonesia and Thailand; the China and Vietnam versions will soon be out.

It is currently available on Amazon, Book Depository and other online and international retailers.