Hodder buys Scott's history of discovery

Hodder & Stoughton has snapped up a new "eye-opening" narrative non-fiction book that will explore the history of discovery by academic and presenter Professor Michael Scott.

Senior commissioning editor Anna Baty acquired world, all-language rights in X Marks the Spot: The Discovery and Discoverers of Our Past from Patrick Walsh at PEW Literary in an exclusive submission. 

Baty commented: "I’m thrilled to be welcoming Michael Scott to Hodder. He’s a brilliant historian and communicator who I’ve been a fan of for many years. His new book, X Marks the Spot, is told with the spirit of an explorer and the intellectual rigour of an academic, making it an exhilarating and eye-opening read."

Scott is a professor in Classics and Ancient History at the University of Warwick, and has written and presented several TV and radio programmes, including the BBC series "Invisible Cities", as well as being the author of Ancient Worlds (Hutchinson, 2016). His new book will be a journey of intellectual discovery and adventure through eight of the world’s greatest archaeological discoveries, from underwater shipwrecks to settlements in the clouds. X Marks the Spot will offer a reflection on the nature of history and discovery itself, peeling back layers of history to simultaneously examine the time of an artefact’s creation, as well as the time of its discovery millennia later. Scott will also uncover the fascinating characters behind great discoveries. 
 
Scott said: "I am delighted to be working with Anna and the Hodder team on X Marks the Spot. My love of the past began with Indiana Jones, and this work is a tribute to the real-life Indianas of our past, present and future. Join me to follow their struggles through deserts, fights through jungles, battles against the narcotic effects of nitrogen deep under water, and perseverance through the icy cold of the mountains to uncover the objects, locations and peoples that have unlocked the secrets and wonders of our past."

Hodder & Stoughton will publish X Marks the Spot in summer 2023.