The Philosopher Next Door

‘Vita brevis, Frances - life is short,’ Norman said as she stepped onto the path that led to her own front door. ‘It won’t wait for you. Start remembering who you are and what matters to you before it’s too late. The sand is always seeping through the hourglass…’

Frances Knight has everything that makes a person a success. She’s worked hard to get skills and qualifications, she’s got a decent job, she drives her own car, and she and her boyfriend are even on the property ladder. She’s done everything she was supposed to do; so why does she feel unhappy?

Norman is Frances’s neighbour, a retired philosophy professor and widower who misses the days of lively conversation and debate. As their friendship develops, Norman finds the true connection he has been missing, and Frances is offered the lesson of her life. Through Norman, she begins to understand that true success belongs to those who find the courage to be themselves and that, in the end, our job is not to accept and conform but rather to look beyond the boundaries that have been laid down for us. For it is only in stepping out that we will reconnect with who we really are and live a life that is truly worthy of us.