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

Jamie’s commissioning is led by a focus on intellectually rigorous and thought-provoking non-fiction, often by academics and experts. He publishes across popular science, economics, psychology, history and politics. He’s also drawn to books premised on a powerful central idea, whether that relates to the individual or society, and to those that help us to live and work more sustainably and meaningfully – he published Cal Newport’s Sunday Times bestseller Slow Productivity for Penguin in early 2024.

He’s always enjoyed working with journalists who can provide fresh perspectives on global events and is also on the look-out for powerful narrative non-fiction and memoir in the vein of The Outrun, Nothing to Envy, Sea State or The Lost Pianos of Siberia. Finally, he’s keen on books about sport and fitness from a narrative or expert viewpoint, titles like Exercised by Daniel Lieberman, Born to Run by Christopher McDougall or Barbarian Days by William Finnegan.

I’m building a varied list of serious and literary non-fiction at William Collins, with authors including Guy Shrubsole, Michiko Kakutani, Rebecca Smith and Laura Spinney. My background is in history and languages; other particular interests include politics, economics, culture, narrative, memoir, and psychology. Across these subjects, I’m always drawn to any books that combine intellect and feeling. I want to publish a diverse range of voices, including in translation, and am always keen to hear from under-represented experts in their field, from researchers to activists and journalists. I love writers with an originality in their approach or ideas, that push the boundaries of what non-fiction can do, on the page and in the world.

I am excited to work with authors who are exploring the world around them, whether that be through gripping investigative writing, expert knowledge of specialist subjects or a fresh take on elements of nature, culture or history. I love narrative writing that reads like the best fiction and I’m always delighted to read books that challenge the status quo, break new ground or offer non-traditional perspectives. At the moment, I’m particularly looking for true crime/mystery, untold histories and inspirational smart thinking/self-improvement, along the lines of 4,000 Weeks by Oliver Burkeman.

I publish nonfiction and am particularly drawn to writing that has a strong voice, is politically engaged and finds the remarkable in the ordinary. I am looking to acquire books that play in the genres of history, politics, cultural criticism and investigative reportage. I’m interested in anything that interrogates traditional ways of knowing, makes the esoteric accessible or platforms previously unheard voices. My list currently includes a powerful work of American Indigenous history that unravels generations of injustice; a travel and environmental science book that champions the potential of green spaces in cities; and a nature memoir that explores our relationship with ‘the wild’ and escapism. When I’m not working on my own books, I am assisting Arabella with hers.