Pushkin ONE dives in for Lulu Miller's Why Fish Don't Exist

ONE, an imprint of Pushkin Press, is to publish Why Fish Don’t Exist, the debut book by Lulu Miller, co-host of the science podcast Radiolab. 

Laura Macaulay, publishing director, bought UK and Commonwealth rights from Jessica Bullock at The Wylie Agency. Why Fish Don’t Exist will be published in hardback and e-book on 10th October 2024.

Why Fish Don’t Exist has been has sold more than 180,000 copies in the US and more than over 240,000 copies in South Korea. Translation rights have been sold in 11 languages. 

The book’s synopsis reads: "When Lulu Miller’s relationship falls apart, she turns to an unlikely figure for guidance – 19th-century naturalist David Starr Jordan. Pouring over his diaries, Lulu discovers a man obsessed with nature’s hidden order, devoted to studying shimmering scales and sailing the world in search of new species of fish. But lurking behind the tale of this great taxonomist lies a darker story waiting to be told: one about the human cost of attempting to define the form of things unknown."

Miller said: "I am so thrilled to be bringing the odd existential adventure that is this book to UK audiences. As you’ll see, the story criss-crosses the globe, with a significant intellectual influence in the protagonist’s journey coming from the UK. Pushkin has whipped up a dream cover for the UK edition, and we’ve snuck in some new goodies at the end of this edition that I’m excited to share with the world."

Macaulay said: "This idiosyncratic, warm and funny book is an irresistible blend of science, history and the author’s personal story that will surely captivate readers here in the UK, just as it already has around the world."