‘My body was something that carried my head around, annoyingly slow at that, something that was holding my pen, a necessary evil.’ - excerpt The Rediscovery of the Body

In The Rediscovery of the Body, Bregje Hofstede tells about her recovery from burn-out, presenting her research on the societal and philosophical context of this experience. The result is a real-life story about a health craze that is not really about health, but about performing. Hofstede recounts how her tumultuous “rediscovery of the body” influenced her daily writing. She researches what it means to be a writing body, and in how far it matters to be a writing female body.

There are countless self-help books about stress, on the internet practical tips can be found by the dozen. Do yoga, be mindful, drink spinach shakes and fennel tea! One out of seven Dutch citizens is fighting with symptoms of burn-out. But the health regime that is the societal answer, with its food fanaticism and optimization gadgets, does not really seem to provide the necessary relief. Luckily, Bregje Hofstede has written a book with a radically different approach to the topic.

‘Hofstede covers a wide literary spectrum from dreamy fiction to hard-boiled essay-writing. As scientific as it is heartfelt.’ – Hollands Maandblad

'Bregje Hofstede doesn't provide catharsis, but more importantly the book inspires to think about physical and mental health and the connection between the two.’ – Letter&Geest