William Collins wins four-way auction for James Kinross' Wild Gut

William Collins has won a four-way auction for Wild Gut by James Kinross, a leading expert on the microbiome and consultant surgeon at Imperial College London.

Editorial director Jamie Birkett has won a four-publisher auction for UK/Commonwealth rights. The deal was negotiated by Caroline Michel at Peters, Fraser and Dunlop and moves Kinross from Penguin Random House to HarperCollins, after a bidding war between four publishers, reuniting Kinross with his original editor Birkett.

Wild Gut is the second trade book by Kinross, following on from Dark Matter: The New Science of the Microbiome (Viking, 2023). 

William Collins said: “Having established the vital part our microbiome plays in our health, including its effect on our moods, immunity and longevity, Wild Gut will teach readers how to nourish their microbiome using the central metaphor of an internal garden which requires constant tending. Illuminating the role of individual microbes in the body and addressing the triple threat of our ‘war on germs’, overuse of antibiotics and globalisation, Kinross will help readers to nurture their microbiome and adjust their habits so their microbes can flourish.”

Birkett, who joined William Collins from PRH last year, said: ‘I’m delighted to have the opportunity to work with James again on this new book. I can’t think of a more entertaining and knowledgeable expert to read on the microbiome, and this more practical approach will offer a wealth of much-needed advice for those looking to actively improve their health, while appealing equally to lovers of quality science writing."

Kinross said: “I am privileged to be partnering with William Collins on Wild Gut. It’s exciting to collaborate with such a motivated and visionary team as I embark on the next phase of my mission to improve health and well-being by harnessing the power of the microbiome.” 

An associate professor of surgery at Imperial College London and head of colorectal surgery at Imperial NHS trust, Kinross is also a visiting professor at the Royal College of Surgeons of Ireland. His research group studies how the gut microbiome causes chronic diseases of the gut such as cancer, and how gut bacteria may be engineered to treat cancer. He has appeared in shows such as BBC 1’s The Truth About Takeaways and Trust Me I’m a Doctor. He writes for media outlets on many different clinical topics in healthcare.