Canongate lands Moffat's secret history

Canongate has acquired world rights in Alistair Moffat’s The Secret History of Here. 

Editorial director Simon Thorogood struck the deal with David Godwin at David Godwin Associates, with the publication date to be announced. 

The Secret History of Here is the story of a single place, a farm in the Scottish Borders. "The site on which Alistair Moffat’s farm now stands has been occupied since pre-historic times. The fields have turned up ancient arrow heads, stone spindles, silver pennies and a stone carved with the rune-like letters of Ogham. Walking this landscape you can feel the presence and see the marks of those who lived here before," reads the synopsis. "But it is also the story of everywhere. In uncovering the history of one piece of land, Moffat shows how history is all around us, if only we have the eyes to see it. Under our feet, carved into the landscape, in the layout of paths and roads, in the stories we pass down, our history leaves its trace on the land."

Moffat said: "This is a story of a small patch of the planet, where I live, a place I love. But it is also a story of everywhere. Each house, be it a flat, a semi-detached or a mansion, has its story. All that is needed to make the past come alive and the present more vivid is curiosity. The Secret History of Here is a diary of discovery, a record of a remarkable year when ghosts became real, when armies marched past my front door, when I heard the jingle of harness, the whispers of lovers, the songs of field workers and realised that the land had memory."

Thorogood added: "Taking the form of a journal of a year, The Secret History of Here is a walk through the centuries as much as the seasons. We hear the echo of battles long since fought, of lives lived quietly or scandalously, of armies, of kings, of the common folk who mostly inhabited this land, and a little of those that live here now. Alistair has established himself as a leading writer on the subject of landscape and history and The Secret History is a real treat for his growing legion of fans."