Elliott & Thompson wins Jim Leary book on Neolithic people in five-way auction
Elliott & Thompson has acquired The Seekers: Unearthing the Lost Neolithic People of Britain and Ireland by archaeologist, lecturer and author Jim Leary.
Publishing director Sarah Rigby secured world English-language rights from Jaime Marshall at JP Marshall Literary Agency in a five-way auction, with the book scheduled for release in March 2027.
The publisher says: “Our understanding of the Neolithic has been transformed in recent years as cutting-edge science has brought us ever closer to the people of this pivotal era. The Seekers will tell this new story of the Neolithic for the first time. It is a tale of landscapes and legends, antiquarians and archaeologists, communities and connections; a story of the seekers and the sought.”
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Rigby said: “There is nobody better placed to tell this epic story of the Neolithic than Dr Jim Leary, who has spent decades excavating the very places that are now revealing so much about how this culture of unparalleled creativity and innovation transformed our landscape forever.”
Leary, whose previous books include Footmarks: A Journey Into Our Restless Past (Icon Books), said: “The Seekers is an immersive and personal account of my journeys in search of the Neolithic, the spectacular period that transformed Britain and Ireland. The monuments that dotted the landscape during this time created a profound sense of place that continues to resonate today.
“I have had the immense privilege of excavating some of these remarkable sites, and they have profoundly connected me to the land and to these striving people long gone. I want readers to share in this connection, and in the sense of awe they inspire in me. I’m thrilled that The Seekers has found such a warm home with Elliott & Thompson. The team, particularly Sarah Rigby, possesses immense passion and vision for my book.”
