Bloomsbury takes 'fresh look' at ancient world with Rees

Bloomsbury is to publish the first trade book from Dr Owen Rees, an "ambitious and trailblazing" work of history about life at the borders of the ancient world.

Commissioning editor for non-fiction Jasmine Horsey acquired UK and Commonwealth rights at auction to The Far Edges of the Known World from Catherine Clarke at Felicity Bryan Associates. In the US, rights were sold to Matt Weiland at Norton by Zoë Pagnamenta at the Zoë Pagnamenta Agency, on behalf of Catherine Clarke. Rights have also been sold in Greece and the book is under offer in Germany.

"The ancient world is often explored from the Greek and Roman perspective. But what was it like to live on the edges of ancient empires, on the boundaries of the known world?" the synopsis reads. "In this major work, Owen Rees will steer us to a fresh look at the ancient world. Ranging from Volubilis, the Berber settlement at the far edge of Roman influence in the deserts of Morocco to Co-Loa in the Red River valley of Vietnam, holding out against the Han Chinese; and from the freezing winters of the northern Black Sea to complex burial sites in the Rift Valley in Kenya – not to mention the rain-lashed Roman villas south of Hadrian’s Wall – the book will look to the peripheries to tell the stories of everyday ancient people, and show how extensive archaeological excavations have shed new light on cultures that are often overlooked."

Horsey said: "We are thrilled to be publishing The Far Edges of the Known World. We are excited about it not only for its promise to shed light on societies about which little has been written, but also for the new perspective it encourages us to take to our shared history – for its willingness to pose the questions that don’t often get asked. Owen Rees’s approach is fascinating, and his book promises to be an ambitious and trailblazing work."

Rees is an associate lecturer in ancient history at Manchester Metropolitan University and regularly contributes to publications specialising in ancient and medieval history. He is the founder of the website BadAncient.com, which debunks common misconceptions about the ancient world and advocates for the importance of ancient history today.

He said: "Ancient history has often had a core focus on just a few cultures and on the experiences of only a few sections of society. I hope to shed light on a world beyond this narrow remit, and in turn offer a very different perspective to a well-known period of history. So I am absolutely delighted that this book has found a home with Bloomsbury, whose vision and ambition for this book truly match my own."

Bloomsbury will publish The Far Edges of the Known World in autumn 2024.