Yellow Kite has pre-empted a book by a French Zen Buddhist nun instructing readers “how to find silence” in their day-to-day lives.

World English language rights in The Gift of Silence: Finding Peace in a World Full of Noise by Kankyo Tannier were pre-empted by publisher Liz Gough from James Elliot at Edi8 in Paris.

It will publish the “philosophical yet highly practical” book on 11th January. The Gift of Silence has fo far also been sold in Brazil, Germany, Italy, Spain (Castilian), Spain (Catalan), The Netherlands, Portugal, Estonia, Lithuania, USA, Korea and China.

Its author Tannier, hailed “the new voice of Buddhism”, lived in a monastery in Alsace for over 15 years before settling in a cottage in the middle of a nearby forest, surrounded by trees and animals. A trained psychotherapist, she teaches meditation workshops and writes a blog on everyday spirituality at www.dailyzen.fr, has given a TEDX talk on the benefits of living in the present, and blogs for the Huffington Post in France.

The Gift of Silence, through combining personal experience with philosophy and practical advice, aims to help modern readers enhance their mental wellbeing, to feel calmer with more control over their emotions.

Gough said the “wonderful and essential” book could help readers to deal better with stressful situations. With what is described as the author’s “spiritual wisdom and warm, humorous tone”, Tannier uses examples from daily life, like coping with noisy neighbours to struggling and feeling overwhelmed by the world’s problems, to give readers ways to tap into their “inner silence” and thrive.

“I was so thrilled to acquire this book because I was looking for a modern spiritual person to share their discoveries and teach us how to find calm,” said Gough. “This is a book imbued with ancient wisdom for modern life and its message is timely, hopeful and optimistic. Tapping into your inner silence can help you in so many ways: it can help you feel better in stressful situations or during emotional upheaval, even despite the noise and bustle that may be surrounding you. This is a wonderful and essential book.”

The Gift of Silence will be published in hardcover in January by Yellow Kite.