Hurst is an independent non‑fiction publisher based in London, with a 50‑year track record of scholarly yet accessible books. They release around 90 new titles annually, specializing in African, Middle Eastern, South Asian, and international studies—but they’ll publish anything intriguing, from sports to art to cookbooks, as long as it stands out.
Celebrated authors include Olivette Otele, Gérard Prunier, Stephen Ellis, Susan Williams, Alpa Shah, Christophe Jaffrelot, Faisal Devji, David Kilcullen, Sir David Omand, Madawi Al‑Rasheed, Ziauddin Sardar, and Jean‑Pierre Filiu.
Founded in 1969 by Christopher Hurst, C. Hurst & Co. has always favored editorial excellence over empire‑building. Today, they honor his independent spirit by publishing books that surprise, inform, and meet the highest scholarly and literary standards.
TITLES
Matters of Truth and Justice
PALESTINE
Genre:
Current Issues, Economy & Politics
Author:
Azmi Bishara
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Russian, LA Spanish
Rights sold: Spain Spanish
A leading Arab scholar considers settler colonialism, occupation and nationhood, powerfully arguing for a justice-based approach to the ongoing conflict.
William Blake and the Power of the Imagination
AWAKE!
Genre:
Literary Criticism, Philosophy
Author:
Mark Vernon
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
The Tablet’s cover feature
A new look at the life, works and enduring relevance of William Blake, a deeply spiritual and politically radical figure.
Ukraine and the Global Conflict between Russia and the West
ECONOMIC WAR
Genre:
Current Issues, Economy & Politics
Author:
Maximilian Hess
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
Selected as one of the ‘Books to Read in 2023’ in the Financial Times
Selected as one of The Federal’s ’75 Books to Look Out for in 2023′
How a revolution in Ukraine precipitated an international economic conflict affecting us all.
How Small Smart Powers Can Save the World
THE SMALL STATES CLUB
Genre:
Economy & Politics
Author:
Armen Sarkissian
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian
Selected as one of the Diplomatic Courier’s ’15 Books to Look Forward to in 2023′
Selected as the Independent’s Book of the Month (December 2023)
A gracefully written reflection on how small states can pack a punch that belies their size.
Culture, Empire and Race in the European Project
EUROWHITENESS
Genre:
Current Issues, Society
Author:
Hans Kundnani
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
A revelatory account of the EU as a racialised project.
As the far-right rises in the EU, a timely consideration of how the European project is founded on an ethnic and cultural white identity rarely frankly addressed.
Argues that since the refugee crisis of 2015, notions of whiteness have become more central to European identity.
The Political Leadership of Benito Mussolini
DUCE: The CONTRADICTIONS of POWER
Genre:
History
Author:
Peter J. Williamson
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
A compelling reinterpretation of the authority and ideology of the much-mythologised Mussolini, weighing his successes and failings in government.
South Korea from the Forgotten War to K-Pop
SHRIMP TO WHALE
Genre:
History, Economy & Politics, Current Issues
Author:
Ramon Pacheco Pardo
Rights avail:
French, German, Brazilian Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
Italian, Korean, Portugal Portuguese, Turkish
Charts the incredible rise of South Korea, from colonisation and civil war to today’s thriving nation.
The Global Race for Battery Dominance and the New Energy Revolution
LITHIUM
Genre:
Current Issues
Author:
Lukasz Bednarski
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian
SOLD: Simplified Chinese, Korean, Polish, Spanish.
How a little-known mineral will affect our jobs and daily lives as much as, if not more than, AI or Big Data have done.
A History in Fifty Presents
DIPLOMATIC GIFTS
Genre:
History
Author:
Paul Brummell
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
Rights Sold: Complex Chinese, Simplified Chinese
A lavishly illustrated history of diplomatic gifts, from the infamous Trojan Horse to the much-loved Christmas tree at Trafalgar Square.
The Birth of a New America
HISTORY HAS BEGUN
Genre:
Economy & Politics
Author:
Bruno Maçães
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian
Longlisted for The Orwell Prize for Political Writing 2021
What if America hasn’t yet peaked? What if a new America has only just begun?
An Exploration
GARIBALDI IN SOUTH AMERICA
Genre:
Biography & Memoirs, History
Author:
Richard Bourne
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
A revealing biography of Garibaldi’s time in Latin America, and how it shaped his view of politics, liberty and the struggle against oppression.
Why Some Countries Win and Others Lose
GAMBLING ON DEVELOPMENT
Genre:
Economy & Politics
Author:
Stefan Dercon
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian
Rights Sold: Spanish
We spend a lot of money on aid – although not as much as we used to. Does it work or is it, as some claim, a waste? And behind that, why do some countries develop and others not? Reading Our Times podcast host and journalist Nick Spencer talks to Stefan Dercon about his book Gambling on Development.
How do countries achieve development? According to a leading economist, success arises when elites bet on growth.
An untold History
AFRICAN EUROPEANS
Genre:
History
Author:
Olivette Otele
Rights avail:
Russian, Spanish
Rights sold: Catalan, French, Italian, German, Portuguese
Longlisted for the Orwell Prize for Political Writing, one of the most prestigious for non-fiction in the UK.
Interviewed by Coumba Kane for Le Monde, 20-21 Dec. 2020
A dazzling history of African Europeans, revealing old and diverse links between the two continents.
The God that Failed
LIBERAL CAPITALIST DEMOCRACY
Genre:
Economy & Politics, Society
Author:
Krishnan Nayar
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
Did capitalism lead inevitably to democracy?
Can liberalism overcome the ascendant authoritarian right?
For liberal democracy to survive, it must learn history’s lessons.
A History of Nerve Agents, From Nazi Germany to Putin's Russia
TOXIC
Genre:
History
Author:
Dan Kaszeta
Rights avail:
German, Italian, Russian, Spanish, Portuguese
Rights Sold: French
A dark and chilling story of the invention, proliferation and use of nerve agents.
Toxic recounts the grisly history of chemical weapons of mass destruction: a deadly suite of invisible, odourless killers.
Into the Heart of Russia’s Fascist Youth
Z GENERATION
Genre:
Current Issues, Society, Economy & Politics
Author:
Ian Garner
Rights avail:
French, German, Russian, Spanish
Rights sold: Estonian, Finnish, Italian, Polish, Portuguese
Selected as one of the ‘Books to Read in 2023’ in the Financial Times
A disturbing portrait of the fascist youth movements warping Russian society and politics.
How the Roman Trial of Jesus Shaped History
THE INNOCENCE OF PONTIUS PILATE
Genre:
History
Author:
David Lloyd Dusenbury
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian, Spanish
-How have Christianity and Empire been shaped by perceptions of Pilate’s role in the Crucifixion?
-Argues that traditional notions of Pilate's innocence led to the concept of secularity and the logic of tolerance in early modern Europe.
-Shows how understanding that Jesus died 'under Pontius Pilate' has ramifications that go far beyond religious history.
Lessons from the Vikings to Trump
SO YOU WANT TO OWN GREENLAND?
Genre:
Current Issues, Economy & Politics, History
Author:
Elizabeth Buchanan
Rights avail:
German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish
RIGHTS SOLD: French
An indispensable guide to Greenland―why it matters, who covets it and why this wilderness of 56,000 inhabitants could become the next global flashpoint.
How Pentecostal Christianity Is Taking Over the World
BEYOND BELIEF
Genre:
Current Issues, Religion
Author:
Elle Hardy
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Spanish, Russian
A fascinating exposé of the global revolution you’ve never heard of: a deep-pocketed, tech-savvy Christian movement reshaping our societies from within.
An Awakened Russia and a Sleeping Continent
WHO WILL DEFEND EUROPE?
Genre:
Current Issues, Economy & Politics, History
Author:
Keir Giles
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Russian
Finnish
Selected as a Politics ‘Book of the Year’ by the Financial Times
Russia is intent on attacking beyond Ukraine. Can Europe defend itself?
How Islamic Architecture Shaped Europe
STEALING FROM THE SARACENS
Genre:
History
Author:
Diana Darke
Rights avail:
French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian
‘Spectator’ Book of the Year 2020, chosen by William Dalrymple
‘BBC History Magazine’ Best Book of 2020
Shortlisted for the A+C Book Award 2021
A revealing history of Islamic architectural influence on Europe’s cathedrals, palaces and monuments.
