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John Murray has secured a “landmark” book on the ocean by Sir David Attenborough and Colin Butfield after a five-way auction.
Managing director Nick Davies and publishing director Kate Hewson acquired world rights to Ocean from Robert Kirby at United Agents and Michael Ridley at DLA Piper on behalf of Attenborough. A "fast and significant" pre-empt to publish in North America has been accepted from Ben Sevier, executive vice-president and publisher at Grand Central/Hachette Book Group.
Ocean will publish on 8th May 2025, Attenborough’s 99th birthday. John Murray has previously published both authors: Butfield with Earthshot, in association with the Earthshot Prize, and Attenborough’s early memoirs, Adventures of a Young Naturalist and Journeys to the Other Side of the World.
Drawing a course across Attenborough’s lifetime, Ocean takes readers “on an adventure-laden voyage through eight unique ocean habitats, through countless intriguing species, and the most astounding discoveries of the last 100 years, to a future vision of a fully restored marine world, even richer and more spectacular than we could possibly hope”.
The publisher said: “Ocean reveals the past, present and potential future of our blue planet. It is a book almost a century in the making, but one that has never been more urgently needed.”
Attenborough said: “I have had the great fortune to film in all the major habitats of our ocean, from the icy oceans of our poles to remote coral islands. At every stage of my life the ocean has revealed a little more of its wonders. Indeed, even during the writing of this book Colin and I uncovered research neither of us had encountered before. There has never been a more important time for everyone on our planet to understand our ocean, the grave threat it is under and the ways we can bring it back to life. We both hope this book can help towards that goal.”
Butfield added: “Every year the ocean yields new discoveries that can take your breath away: species no one has seen before, animal behaviour none of us would have imagined and connections to our lives that illustrate just how vital a healthy ocean is to each one of us. We are honoured to be working with John Murray again to share the story of our ocean and how its next chapter could transform our planet.”