Hurst signs Danny Dorling's 'utterly unique' exploration of post-pandemic Britain

Hurst has signed Seven Children, an "immersive" exploration of post-pandemic Britain by Danny Dorling, professor of geography at the University of Oxford. 

Senior editor Lara Weisweiller-Wu acquired world rights directly from the author. Seven Children will be published in September 2024. 

The synopsis reads: "What do we miss when we focus only on the super-rich and the most deprived? What kinds of lives are British children living between the extremes? Why are most British parents on below-average income? Who is today’s real middle class? And how can we reverse the trends leaving all children worse off than their parents?" 

Weisweiller-Wu commented: "Danny is one of the UK’s sharpest and liveliest writers on social injustice and the fraying fabric of our nation; it’s been a thrill to work with him as he turns his attention to Britain’s most vulnerable, and least responsible, group: young children. In this utterly unique book, Danny reveals truly shocking details of everyday struggle for almost all UK families — their circumstances, hopes and fears come to life with Danny’s usual wit, passion, and incisive eye for what the statistics really tell us." 

Dorling commented: "I am very excited that Seven Children is being published by Hurst. Blending imagined details of children’s lives into a non-fiction text based on social statistics, it was one of the hardest books I have ever had to write. Luckily I had a great deal of help from Lara at Hurst, and hopefully the finished product will work for curious readers not used to seeing stories told in this way."