The 52 Week Project

Life is short. Make the most of it.

Lauren Keenan (Te Atiawa ki Taranaki) started writing after having children, to give herself something to think about that wasn't baby food, sleep routines, and a pile of laundry so big it ought to have its own gravitational pull. She has eight short stories published in three short story collections: Huia 11 (2015), Huia 12 (2017) and Huia 13 (2019). In 2017 she won the Pikihuia Best Short Story award, and in 2019 was a finalist in the Pikihuia Best Emerging Writer category. Lauren has a Master of Arts in History, and has worked for both central and local government in New Zealand and the UK. She calls Wellington home. Lauren's #lifegoal is to see 50 countries before she's 50, although, admittedly, she still has a way to go. The 52 Week Project is her first full-length book. For more on Lauren see laurenkeenanwriter.com, or follow her on Twitter at @Lauren_M_Keenan

It was winter. Lauren Keenan was separated from her husband, lonely, and miserable. Then came the night of Twenty-Seven Rejections of Doom: she asked twenty-seven people to hang out one Friday night, and every single person said no. Lauren realised her life wasn't working for her and that she needed to change it. It was time to try something new. Fifty-two new things, in fact. She made a resolution: she'd try 52 new things in 52 weeks. From zip lining to entering a stand-up comedy night; swimming with sharks to detoxing from social media; giving up alcohol for six months to going to a music festival alone; Lauren put herself out there with surprising results. Her year of new experiences was a game changer. It repaired her relationship with her husband, she regained confidence in herself, and she realised how satisfying it can be to push yourself to your limits and to do things on your own. The 52 Week Project combines Lauren's insights and humour with current psychological research, as she brings readers along during her year of making the most out of life.

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