Hutchinson Heinemann triumphs in 14-way auction for Kuijpers' 'paradigm-shifting' history of humanity

Hutchinson Heinemann has triumphed in a 14-way auction for Maikel Kuijpers’ Everything is Material, a "paradigm-shifting" history of humanity.

Publisher Helen Conford acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Emma Bal at Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency.

North American rights were sold to Aubrey Martinson at Crown after a six-way auction. Rights were also sold at auction in Germany to Droemer, the Netherlands to Nieuw Amsterdam, Italy’s Aboca Edizioni, France’s Albin Michel, and Romania’s Nemira. Rights were also pre-empted in China to Folio Beijing Culture and also sold in Sweden to Natur & Kultur. The date for publication is yet to be announced.

The publisher’s synopsis reads: “In 2020, our environment officially turned grey. Materials now exceed the weight of all living biomass on earth: an unimaginable total of 1,154 gigatons. Nearly half of this is concrete. The other half is largely made up out of bricks, metals, asphalt, glass, plastics, wood, and thousands of other materials. All made by a particular animal that accounts for an insignificant 0.01 percent of the total 1,120 gigatons biomass on this planet: humans.

“Here we are, building entire environments of our own. Ecological niches of concrete, steel, and glass that we call cities, and in which more than half of the human population spend their lives. We use the same number of objects in a single day that a person used in their entire life 5,000 years ago. Materials are crucial to our existence, and yet we hardly pay attention to this material world. At the same time, several of them threaten our existence.

“Through the grand histories of concrete, steel, soil, brick, wood, plastic, fertiliser, and glass, Maikel Kuijpers shows us how materials are not only witnesses to human history, they’ve helped make it happen.”

Maikel Kuijpers is assistant professor in archaeology at Leiden University. He holds a PhD from Cambridge University and is the author of two academic books. He has published extensively within and outside of academia, and writes for the Conversation and De Correspondent.

Conford said: “I love how Maikel has such ambition and intent in this book while conveying an important message in such an accessible, infectious style. I think Everything is Material is a potentially paradigm-shifting work and I am thrilled and honoured he chose us as his partner.”

Kuijpers said: “Throughout my academic career I’ve been exploring how materials have shaped the human world, and how an archaeological perspective is relevant in our search for a more sustainable future.

“This is what gave my work purpose, and it’s a message that I am very keen on getting across. It’s wonderful and empowering to see the enthusiasm for my book. I feel fortunate to have such an ambitious editor and committed team behind me and look forward to the journey ahead.”