A Year of Nothing: As heard on BBC Woman’s Hour

by Emma Gannon

Foreword by JULIA CAMERON, author of THE ARTIST'S WAY

After years of writing about work, wellness and productivity, Emma Gannon hit a chronic burnout left her unable to get out of bed. Something had to change.

A Year of Nothing follows Emma's quiet rebellion against the cult of doing. Over four seasons, she steps away from the noise and rediscovers joy in life's simplest pleasures, from dog borrowing and dopamine dressing to relearning how to swim and embracing a child-free life.

This is a gentle, hopeful guide to what happens when you stop trying to fix everything and choose to feel instead.

120 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 22, 2026

About the author

Emma Gannon is the Sunday Times bestselling author of eight books, including ‘A Year of Nothing‘ and ‘Olive’, her debut novel, which was nominated for the Dublin Literary Award. Her second novel, ‘Table for One’, published in 2025 with HarperCollins. Emma also runs the popular Substack newsletter, ‘The Hyphen’, which has thousands of paid subscribers. She also hosts creativity retreats all over the world and was a judge for the 2025 Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction.

Reviews

[Lucy Ellis-Hardy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma Gannon’s book is her account of a breakdown and the year she spent really focusing on looking after herself. It’s full of self-care ideas, many of which I could relate to. I especially liked the 'Over to You' questions at the end of each chapter, along with the 'To Do Lists'. Each chapter is set around a month and ties in with the seasons, which worked well.

I found the discussion about the inner child and embracing our childlike selves really interesting, and also the part on dopamine dressing; the power of bright colours to lift our mood. The idea of taking very small steps, however tiny, gradually adding up to big changes in our mental health, really resonated with me. Also, to appreciate everyday small pleasures.

I could also relate to what she wrote about friendships: going out with friends you no longer have much in common with, and recognising that sometimes you need to make changes and find new connections, as not all friendships last forever.

Despite the title, this isn’t really a year of 'nothing' but a year of change. It’s well written, easy to read, and flows nicely. The 'Lessons' at the back of the book are great too. I received a free advanced review copy of this book from NetGalley, and this is my honest review.

[Clare Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Timely and much needed.