Pan Macmillan acquires Frank Verstraete and Céline Broeckaert’s 'captivating' book on quantum physics

Pan Macmillan has acquired Frank Verstraete and Céline Broeckaert’s Why Nobody Understands Quantum Physics: And Everyone Needs to Know Something About It.

Ríbh Brownlee, assistant editor, bought world English language rights from Peter Tallack of The Curious Minds Agency, on behalf of Lannoo. Pan Macmillan will publish the book through its Macmillan imprint in hardback, e-book and audio in June 2025, to coincide with the UN’s ’International Year of Quantum Science and Technology’.

The synopsis says: "In Why Nobody Understands Quantum Physics, a husband-and-wife duo—he, a professor of quantum physics at Cambridge University; she, an actor, writer and Romance languages scholar— demystifies this essential branch of science. In their approachable narrative, they explore the astounding phenomena at the heart of quantum physics and why the universe behaves in the peculiar ways it does. Why Nobody Understand Quantum Physics is now in its 10th printing in Belgium, where it has captured the hearts and minds of readers with its unique blend of scientific insight and storytelling."

Brownlee said: "2025 marks the centenary of significant strides in quantum physics, and there’s no better way to celebrate than bringing this captivating and witty book to an English-language readership. I can’t wait to publish it."

Broeckaert added: "We live in a world full of quantum magic. This book aims to do for the brain what Süskind’s novel Perfume did for the nose: opening a completely new world of fascinating phenomena."

Verstraete said: "Quantum mechanics is to physics what the Enlightenment was to human thought: it has allowed us to view the world from a radically new perspective and uncover an astonishing array of fascinating phenomena. Just as any cultured person is familiar with the classics of music and literature, anyone curious about how the world works should have a basic understanding of quantum theory."