Simon & Schuster pre-empts Dr Sarah Malik's 'profoundly engaging' history of the universe

Simon & Schuster has pre-empted A Brief History of the Universe (And Our Place In It) by particle physicist Dr Sarah Alam Malik.

Assallah Tahir, editorial director, non-fiction, acquired world all-language rights, excluding the Netherlands, from Kate Evans at Peters Fraser and Dunlop (PFD). De Bezige Bij pre-empted Dutch rights from PFD. Simon & Schuster will publish the book in spring 2026.

A Brief History of the Universe (And Our Place In It) "will tell the story of our search for meaning in a sprawling cosmic ocean". Malik takes readers through the discoveries that have changed humans’ understandings of the cosmos and the nature of reality.

Malik said: "Having spent two decades probing the world of the subatomic, I’ve been especially moved by how our scientific breakthroughs have intersected with the most existential of human questions: the deep-seated yearning to find our place in the universe. Since our ancestors started chronicling the lights in the night sky, we have written and rewritten the story of the universe and the significance of our existence in it; with this book, I hope to bring that story to life." 

Tahir added: "Sarah has an incredible knack for explaining complex ideas in a simple and profoundly engaging way. She also happens to write beautifully. This will be a thrilling, expansive and human book, accessible to anyone."

Malik is an expert on dark matter based on University College London.