Atlantic acquires Gavin Plumley's 'glorious' history of home

Atlantic Books has acquired A Home for All Seasons by cultural historian and broadcaster Gavin Plumley.

Karen Duffy, associate publisher and head of campaigns at Atlantic, bought UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from John Ash at PEW Literary. It will be published in hardback and e-book in June 2022, with a paperback to follow in May 2023.

A Home for All Seasons explores the history and architecture of Plumley's home, Stepps House, in Pembridge. The synopsis states: "Stepps House, perched on the corner of the ancient Market Square, is a mix of several centuries and styles. This is its story. The fascinating research into materials and makers, the expert European art history, the architecture of the book: all are dazzlingly woven together and Pembridge, its environs and the glorious county of Herefordshire make for a picture-perfect backdrop to Plumley’s explorations."

Plumley is a frequent contributor on BBC Radio 3 and 4, and has written for the Times, Guardian, Independent, Gramophone and GQ, as well as lecturing at leading museums and galleries. He said: “I love the textures of time – cultural, social, political. A Home for All Seasons considers them through the prism of a timber-framed house in the English countryside. The touchstones of its story, from harvest to harvest, are 400 years old and more, but I’m thrilled that Karen Duffy and the team at Atlantic saw that this was as much a book about the present as it is the past.”

Duffy added: “The breadth of research, the alluring structure of the seasons, the brilliant threading of art, music and literature, the seamless weaving of the past and present, and the delicious snippets of life in Stepps House with Alastair and Toby – give A Home for All Seasons the makings of a classic. A book to come back to, and a book to gift. While city dwellers haven’t been able to visit the countryside and country dwellers have had more time than ever to contemplate and appreciate it recently, this book is both timely and timeless. I couldn’t be more delighted to welcome Gavin and A Home for All Seasons to the Atlantic list. We’re looking forward to bringing Gavin’s glorious book to bookshops and readers – rural and urban alike!”