Greystone and William Collins partner on The Hidden Life of Trees

Greystone Books and William Collins are to partner on UK editions of “international publishing sensation” The Hidden Life of Trees.

Greystone Books’ publisher Rob Sanders has sold UK Commonwealth paperback and audio rights for Peter Wohlleben’s The Hidden Life of Trees: What They Feel, How They Communicate—Discoveries from a Secret World to London-based HarperCollins imprint William Collins.

Greystone will publish the hardcover edition in the US, Canada and the UK in September 2016, and William Collins paperback edition will follow at least a year later. The William Collins audiobook will publish simultaneously with Greystone’s hardcover edition worldwide.

Greystone has also sold Australia and New Zealand territory rights to Black Inc who have sold audio rights on to Bolinda. Greystone has also sold rights for the Indian sub continent to Penguin Random House India. All editions will be released on 13th September 2016.

Myles Archibald, publishing director at William Collins, said: “The Hidden Life of Trees brilliantly ties together fascinating new findings about trees, how they communicate and live together. This is the second wonderful book I have bought in translation from Rob [Sanders] at Greystone—the first was Great Soul of Siberia, Mark Cocker’s book of the year.”

In the book, Wohlleben puts “groundbreaking” scientific discoveries about trees into a language “ordinary” people can understand. On its 2015 release in Germany by Random House, the book “sparked an incredible reaction from publishers, readers, and media all over the world,” according to the publisher. The Hidden Life of Trees has been at the top of the German bestseller list ever since, having sold 450,000 copies, the publisher has said. To date, the book has sold into 25 territories worldwide.