John Murray Group snaps up 'visually stunning' book about the natural world

John Murray Group has acquired Our Story: The Remarkable Tale of an Extraordinary Species by Colin Butfield and Jonnie Hughes.

Managing director Nick Davies acquired world rights to the book, which will be published in hardback on 20th November exclusively at London’s Natural History Museum, and with wider stockists on 4th December.

"A visually stunning, awe-inspiring celebration of the natural world and our unique place within it, Our Story is the accompanying book to the immersive cinematic experience at the Natural Museum. Produced by the award-winning Open Planet Studios, this highly praised show opened in June 2025 and saw sell-out performances in the following weeks."

The blurb adds: "With stunning imagery and a poetic script, John Murray’s Our Story immerses readers in the most important story of them all and provides a new way of looking at our species at just the moment it is urgently needed."

Butfield, co-founder and director of Open Planet Studios, said: "This book is a spectacular and engaging addition to the 360-degree experience we built with the Natural History Museum."

Hughes, co-founder and director of Open Planet Studios, added: "This book contains about the biggest story you could possibly imagine: the multibillion-year epic of our planet and the multimillion-year saga of humankind, which are connected in a way that is important for us all to recognise. For when we do, we begin to understand that there is another chapter just ahead – one in which we and our planet are finally on the same page."

Davies said: "In the spirit of Planetarium (Welcome to the Museum) [Big Picture Press] or The Lost Words by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris [Hamish Hamilton], this is a beautiful, inspirational and sweeping history of the world around us, that can be enjoyed by all age groups. We’re thrilled to be working together with Colin, Jonnie and the team at Open Planet Studios on another landmark book."