You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Icon has snapped up a new title from Shalina Patel.
Kiera Jamison, senior commissioning editor, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to The History Lessons from Emma Bal of Madeleine Milburn Literary Agency, with Audible acquiring audiobook rights. Jamison has since left Icon. The book will be published in May 2024.
The History Lessons is described as a “fun, insightful journey through the Key Stage 3 history curriculum that award-winning teacher Shalina Patel’s students experience today, from the Romans to the Second World War via Tudor courts, giving readers from all walks of life a deeper and wider view of history”.
In 2020, Patel created @thehistorycorridor on Instagram. She’s since amassed 23,000 followers keen to discover new perspectives on the history they were taught at school. “The History Lessons will allow readers to reclaim their history education and look beyond the usual narratives to celebrate the stories and people that may be less familiar but no less fascinating,” the publisher said.
Connor Stait, senior commissioning editor for Icon, said: “Accessible, fun and thought-provoking, The History Lessons will spark discussion and debate wherever it is read.”
Bal added: “History was my favourite subject at school, but I know that if Shalina was my teacher, I would have loved it even more. This is because I would have encountered a much richer history with a broader cast of characters that would have included people like me and my ancestors. I cannot wait for readers to enjoy her fascinating history lessons in this fun debut.”
Patel also commented: “This book gives readers the chance to revisit familiar school history contexts, but with some less familiar people and places. The History Lessons celebrates my love of teaching, and it’s been a real joy to re-tell some of my favourite history lessons from the classroom, but for an adult audience. This book is for anyone who wants to broaden their historical understanding and I hope it inspires readers to see that history is interesting, fun and full of surprises."