New Statesman's Best Books of the Year, 2018
Mail on Sunday, Books of the Year, 2018

When life threw journalist Christina Patterson an involuntary-redundancy shaped curveball she decided to tear up the rulebook. Dreaming of revenge and irritated by self-help books, she set out to interview others who had found themselves picking up their own pieces. The result is a joyous, moving and honest celebration of life as an adventure, one where you ditch your expectations, raise a glass and prepare for a rocky ride.

About the Author
Christina Patterson is a journalist and broadcaster. A former columnist at the Independent and Director of the Poetry Society, she now writes for The Sunday Times and the Guardian about society, culture, politics, books and the arts and is a regular commentator on radio and TV news programmes. She was shortlisted for the Orwell Prize in 2013 for her campaigning work to raise standards in nursing and has contributed to books on poetry, literature and health. She lives in London.

Reviews
One of the best columnists around. * Andrew Motion *
A clear and important voice in British journalism. * Carol Ann Duffy *
A wonderful, gutsy writer. * Clive James *
A tender, beautiful exploration of how we survive pressure, from a tender, beautiful writer. * Johann Hari, author of Lost Connections and Chasing The Scream (a NYT bestseller) *
Brilliant, poignant and also very funny. * Caroline Sanderson, The Bookseller *
A page turner! Insightful, sad, funny and so well written. * Kirsty Wark *
I thoroughly enjoyed it - a kind of war reporter's dispatches from the barricades of modern life. * Robert Harris *
Tender and funny. * Sunday Post *
Poignant and very funny -- Sunday Express
Patterson invests her case histories with such intelligent passion and cracking candour that you feel as if you are listening to your cleverest, funniest, and, above all, kindest friend. This is a manual on how to survive in the 21st century. * Kathryn Hughes, Mail on Sunday *
[Patterson] puts her marvellous empathetic talent to good use, interviewing other people whose worlds had collapsed. The Art of Not Falling Apart is the result, a surprisingly joyful book by a writer so good that the people who sacked her were clearly morons. * Allison Pearson, Sunday Telegraph *
Christina Patterson is a passionate, funny woman who refuses simply to struggle on. She believes in living. And throwing parties. And friendship. And sex. And buying a flat in a Tuscan watchtower from the internet on a whim. And also the power of anger. Like all good journalists, Patterson leaves her best story until last... the final chapter is a revelation. * Jackie Annesley, Sunday Times *
Funny and uplifiting. * Mail on Sunday, 100 Sizzling Summer Reads *
In this incredibly inspirational book, she reflects on the lessons she has learned since being made redundant, and highlights ways to deal with personal challenges, that range from domestic abuse and having a severely disabled child, to being publicly sacked at your employer's AGM. This is not a typical 'how to' guide that promises all the answers - readers may find some along the way, but they may also simply enjoy it as a witty and beautifully written memoir. * Verena Vogt, Irish News *
The whole book was such a gripping read... The honesty is refreshing. It is also beautifully written... Everyone who works in healthcare would benefit from reading this book. * Peter Carter, Nursing Times *
[Christina's] moving and funny book, The Art of Not Falling Apart describes with searing honesty what it's like for a single woman in middle age to lose the one thing that was holding life together - her job. * New Statesman's best books of the year 2018 *
The Art of Not Falling Apart is required reading for all journalists past and present, and anyone else who has - at times - struggled to hold it together. * Dominic Ponsford, Editor in Chief, Press Gazette *



Book Information
ISBN 9781786492760
Author Christina Patterson
Format Paperback
Page Count 352
Imprint Atlantic Books
Publisher Atlantic Books
Weight(grams) 317g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 24mm