John Murray Press bags historian St Clair’s The Race to the Future

John Murray Press has acquired The Race to the Future: The Adventure that Accelerated the Twentieth Century, the new book by historian Kassia St Clair, author of two other books published by John Murray Press: The Secret Lives of Colour and The Golden Thread.

Publisher Georgina Laycock acquired world rights from Imogen Pelham at Marjacq Scripts, with publication scheduled for 9th November 2023. Liveright, an imprint of W W Norton, has acquired the book in the US, and Meulenhoff has acquired Dutch rights.

The publisher describes the book as “the incredible true story of the quest against the odds that shaped the world we live in today".

Laycock said: “All Kassia’s books take their readers on amazing voyages. The Race to the Future doesn’t just take you on a dangerous car race from Peking to Paris in 1907; along the way it explains the origins of the Russian and Chinese revolutions, the surprising history of women drivers, whilst introducing you to Italian princes, con men and many more – I loved every minute of it.”

St Clair, who has written for the Economist, TLS and New Statesman, described the book as “the most ambitious story I’ve ever tackled". “It captures the essence of an era of exploration and profound social, cultural and technological change. I can’t wait to share it with readers,” she said.