The Book of Alchemy: A Creative Practice for an Inspired Life

· Vintage Digital · Narrated by Suleika Jaouad, Vidish Athavale, Fabian Cook Jr, Sean Patrick Hopkins, Emma Ladji, Karen Murray, Soneela Nankani, Nikki Patel, Maggi-Meg Reed, and Gail Shalan
Audiobook
9 hr 19 min
Unabridged
Eligible
Ratings and reviews aren’t verified  Learn More
Want a 10 min sample? Listen anytime, even offline. 
Add

About this audiobook

Brought to you by Penguin.

A guide to the healing power of journalling and a meditation on the central questions of life, featuring creative contributions from Salman Rushdie, Esther Perel, Alain de Botton, Hanif Kureishi, Jia Tolentino, Elizabeth Gilbert, Gloria Steinem, George Saunders, Lena Dunham and more.

Suleika has kept a journal her whole life. Journalling has marked her greatest triumphs and buoyed her in her toughest moments. It has carried her as she fell in love, travelled across the United States, experienced illness, heartbreak and the deepest oceans of uncertainty. And she is not alone. For so many, journalling is a process of discovery – sometimes vulnerable, sometimes terrifying, always transformative.

Featuring writing prompts, essays and wisdom from one hundred contributors and serving as a companion during challenging times, The Book of Alchemy explores themes such as fear, love, beginnings, memory, the body and purpose. In doing so, the book offers encouragement, direction and gives readers the tools to engage with discomfort, to ask questions, to peel back the layers and uncover their truest selves.

‘A stellar collection of prompts and invitations that will enrich any journal' Katherine May | ‘This book is not only beautiful, but exceedingly helpful. I recommend it to every dreamer' Elizabeth Gilbert | 'Galvanising and comforting. An instant classic' Emma Gannon | ‘An extraordinary collection of wisdom' Adam Grant | This book is a gift' Hanif Abdurraqib | ‘Brilliant. Gentle. Encouraging' Kate Bowler

© Suleika Jaouad 2025 (P) Penguin Audio 2025

About the author

Suleika Jaouad is the author of New York Times bestselling memoir Between Two Kingdoms (translated into over 20 languages). She wrote the Emmy Award-winning New York Times column and video series “Life, Interrupted,” and her essays and feature stories have appeared in New York Times Magazine, The Atlantic, The Guardian, Vogue, and more. She is the subject of the Oscar-nominated documentary American Symphony alongside her husband Jon Batiste – a portrait of two artists during a year of extreme highs and lows. She is the creator of the Isolation Journals, a weekly newsletter and global community that harnesses creativity as a tool to navigate life.

Rate this audiobook

Tell us what you think.

Listening information

Smartphones and tablets
Install the Google Play Books app for Android and iPad/iPhone. It syncs automatically with your account and allows you to read online or offline wherever you are.
Laptops and computers
You can read books purchased on Google Play using your computer's web browser.