Century signs ‘love letter to history’s forgotten heroes’ by comedian Adrian Bliss

Century has signed The Greatest Nobodies of History, a "love letter to history’s forgotten heroes", by comedian and social media creator Adrian Bliss.

Callum Crute, commissioning editor for Century non-fiction, commissioned the book, acquiring UK and Commonwealth rights from Florence Dodd at WME. The book will be published on 28th August 2024 by Century in hardback and e-book, with a simultaneous audiobook publication from Penguin Random House Audio.

"The Greatest Nobodies of History is a hilarious, tongue-in-cheek retelling of humanity’s greatest moments, as told by some of its seemingly inconsequential bystanders," the synopsis says. "From Ancient Athens’ most annoying philosopher to Henry VIII’s bathroom attendants, the muses of Leonardo da Vinci to the soldiers in Australia’s Great Emu War, the book brings to life some of history’s oddest characters in Bliss’ trademark style."

Crute said: "Adrian is one of the most exciting and innovative voices to come up in recent years, and his book delivers everything you would expect from him: hilarious, informative and completely surreal — as if the Monty Python crew had written your history textbook. I can’t wait for readers to be introduced to their new favourite, if most irreverent, historian."

Bliss added: "I have had so much fun exploring history’s side characters and telling their stories, and I am excited for readers to discover them too. If nothing else, it was worth it simply to spend three weeks in the head of Leonardo da Vinci’s ferret, and saying it was work."