John Murray pre-empts history of burial rites from historian and archaeologist Guy Middleton

John Murray Press has pre-empted the “illuminating” history of burial rites from historian and archaeologist Guy Middleton. Joe Zigmond, publishing director at John Murray and Basic Books, has pre-empted rights to Funereal, a history of burials and funerary practices – from ancient to modern times and from rulers to everyday people.

Funereal is “a sweeping historical odyssey to unearth the ways we mourn and bury our dead, that asks the question: why do we bury our dead and what does that tell us about ourselves?”

Middleton is an historian of the ancient world. He is a visiting fellow at Newcastle University, an honorary fellow at Durham University, a fellow of the Royal Historical Society, and a teaching fellow at Northumbria University.

Zigmond said: “Funereal is a refreshing and profound piece of non-fiction, spanning colossal axes of time and geography. In unearthing the messages encoded within burial rites, Guy Middleton cuts to the very core of the human search for meaning. He shines new light on obscure graves all over the world, and uncovers vividly detailed life in the memorialisation of death. We are delighted to welcome him to the list.”

Middleton said: “A lot of archaeology is connected with death and dying – the bodies, grave goods and tomb hats mark the life of rich, poor, old or young. There is so much that burials can tell us about past lives and cultures, while helping us reflect on our own lives and deaths. I’m very happy to have the opportunity to work with Joe and Eric on Funereal.”

John Murray and Basic Books are imprints of John Murray Press, whose parent company is Hachette UK.