THE TEAM

History, biography, politics, current affairs, psychology, science, nature, books about the sea and poetry. I publish in all these areas but, like all true magpies, anything bright, shiny, quirky, unexpected is likely to attract my eye. During many years at William Collins I have published great books by many writers including (but not limited to): Christina Lamb, Adam Nicolson, Paula Byrne, Maya Jasanoff, Kathryn Mannix, Philippa Gregory, Max Hastings, Tom Burgis, Catherine Belton, Samantha Power, Sally Bayley, Patrick Radden Keefe, Andrew Roberts, David Petraeus, Marina Warner, Saul David, Richard Holmes, Sue Stuart-Smith, Daniel Gilbert, Cathy Newman and Jonathan Bate. I’m working on a podcast series with Philippa Gregory to tie into her landmark history Normal Women and will publish Boris Johnson’s memoirs at some point in the future.

I am really interested in informed,insightful and intriguing books on pretty much any area of non-fiction. In the past 10 years this has resulted in my developing for William Collins an eclectic mix of books on nature, science, history, racism and ecology by authors such as David Attenborough, Brian Cox, Ben Fogle, Bernard Cornwell, Peter Wohlleben and Peter Godfrey-Smith, plus the world renowned Collins New Naturalist series and the associated field guides. We also started our association with the TLS in 2019, TLS Books, publishingbooks such as Lee Child’s brilliant The Hero and David Baddiel’s bestsellers Jews Don’t Countand the follow-up The God Desire. We recently published the Sunday Times bestseller Wild Isles by Alastair Fothergill and Patrick Barkham.

Jamie Birkett
Editorial Director

My commissioning is led by a focus on intellectually rigorous and thought-provoking non-fiction. I publish across categories including popular science, history, economics, politics, sport and smart thinking.

I’m drawn to books grounded in a powerful central idea and that can help us live better lives – examples would include Slow Productivity by Cal Newport, Four Thousand Weeks by Oliver Burkeman or Jared Henderson’s forthcoming The Philosophical Life. I also publish a select number of music titles, with authors ranging from Lionel Richie to legendary Japanese composer Ryuichi Sakamoto.

I’m always keen to work with journalists who can offer fresh perspectives on global affairs, and I am also looking for distinctive narrative non-fiction like The Outrun, Nothing to Envy or The Lost Pianos of Siberia. I admire good sports writing too, so would love to find more books like Feet in the Clouds by Richard Askwith, Deep by James Nestor, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall or Barbarian Days by William Finnegan.

I publish widely across non-fiction, with authors including Guy Shrubsole, Caroline Lucas, Sahil Bloom, Laura Spinney and Cindy Yu. My background is in history and languages; other particular interests include politics, feminism, economics, psychology, narrative non-fiction, memoir and reportage. Across subjects, I’m always drawn to books that combine brain and heart. I aim to publish a diverse range of voices, including in translation, and am always keen to hear from under-represented experts in their field. I love writers with an originality in their approach or ideas, that push the boundaries of what books can do, on the page and in the world. Previously, I worked at Penguin Press editing writers including Shon Faye, Malcolm Gaskill and Dominic Sandbrook.

I’m drawn to books that find the remarkable in the ordinary, peel back layers of meaning (especially where there is resistance) and change the way we move through the world. I am currently building my nonfiction list, looking to acquire books that play in the genres of history, biography, ideas and nature.

I grew up on Didion and Orwell, and studied history and politics at Cambridge. Originally from West Virginia, I’ve worked in the US at the Hannah Arendt Center and on a presidential campaign. Later, I lived in Berlin and became involved with a Jewish charity. Before starting at William Collins, I was an assistant to an art collector and then a bookseller in London.

I’m a sucker for the pacy narratives of David Grann and Patrick Radden Keefe, the lyrical meanderings of Rebecca Solnit and Robert Macfarlane, and exposé memoirs like those of Orlando Whitfield and Slutty Chef. Recent highlights from my list include By the Fire We Carry, longlisted for the Women’s Prize for Non-Fiction; Bothy, shortlisted for the Wainwright Prize; Wild Cities, and This Land of Promise. I also work with Arabella on her books.

My primary role is to support the editorial team, particularly Jamie and Arabella, across all stages of the publishing process. From reviewing proposals and organising author meetings to submitting books for key literary prizes, I help keep things on track. Naturally, this allows me to engage with a wide range of non-fiction genres which I am eager to explore more such as popular science and philosophy. My particular passion however is for history and politics; I am keenly interested in proposals and books that shed new light on conflicts around the globe, political machinations, and historical turning points. I was previously a senior non-fiction bookseller and BA War Studies student.