Piatkus bags Etchells' book on healthy relationships with screens

Piatkus has inked a deal for Screens Are Not Your Enemy from Bath Spa professor Pete Etchells.

Holly Harley, editorial director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Will Francis at Janklow & Nesbit. Piatkus will publish in January 2024. 

“Whether it’s on our computers or phones, email, social media, Minecraft servers or video conference calls, much of our working and social lives now play out through screens,” the blurb reads. “But this isn’t something to be afraid of – and it certainly isn’t something we should feel guilty about. In Screens Are Not Your Enemy, Pete Etchells will show us that we have nothing to fear, and a great deal to gain, by establishing a positive relationship with screens and asking ourselves some essential questions about how we use them.” 

Etchells is professor of psychology and science communication at Bath Spa University, where he studies the behavioural effects of playing video games. He is the author of Lost in a Good Game (Icon Books) and writes for BBC Science Focus magazine. He has previously written for the Guardian, Observer, Telegraph, Wired and Discover magazine’s science blog among others. He has also been a science consultant for the BBC’s "Horizon”. 

Etchells commented: “Although the public narrative around screens has largely been framed as good versus evil, the best research we currently have paints a much more complex and nuanced picture about the effects that digital technology can have on us. Screens Are Not Your Enemy will take a deep dive into this emerging and contentious field, and why we’ve got the debate around screens so wrong. Ultimately, it’s about reframing the conversation towards thinking about how we can best use digital technology to improve our lives.”  

He added: “I’m absolutely thrilled to be working with Holly Harley and Piatkus, who are the ideal partners to work with in getting this book to the audiences that will benefit from it the most.” 

Harley commented: “I’ve long admired Pete’s writing, and his new book will be a welcome friend to anyone who dreads their weekly screen time report. In the same way a scientific approach to nutrition is far more sustainable than any fad diet, Screens Are Not Your Enemy presents reassuring guidance for a healthy relationship with screens.”