Faber wins seven-way auction for architect Elsie Owusu's The World That Jack Built

Faber has won a seven-way auction for The World that Jack Built by architect Elsie Owusu OBE RA.

Senior commissioning editor Fiona Crosby acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Adam Gauntlett at PFD, and the book will be published in hardback in spring 2027.

"In The World That Jack Built, Elsie Owusu exposes how a narrow demographic of elite architects, developers and designers continue to build an outdated world for people who look, think and live as they do," the synopsis says. "This eye-opening account reveals why so many of us continue to live in conflict with our surroundings, whether because of our age, gender, ethnicity, disability or social and economic status. Across a 50-year career in architecture, Elsie Owusu has been devoted to architecture that works better for the people who use the buildings it designs, and her book argues that only by involving all people will we create a world with spaces and places in which everyone can thrive, in future."

Owusu said: "Architecture and design affect all our lives, so we should all have more control over how our homes and buildings are made. I want to give everyone the power to see our world through the eyes of architects and designers, to recognise the in-built flaws and to discover the exciting opportunities to fix our environment together."

Crosby added: "We were bowled over by Elsie’s proposal and her ability to transform how you see the world around you. Elsie is not only a pioneer in her field but also brimming with revelatory stories, and we’re honoured to be publishing her book."