Independent publishing company
Hurst Publishers
Nonfiction, Academic, History
Published Updated Reviewed every month · next review November 2026
About Hurst
Hurst Publishers takes proposals for serious adult nonfiction straight from authors by email. It specialises in current affairs, history, politics, Islamic studies and conflict, and asks for a proposal of at least 1,500 words.
Hurst Publishers, founded in London in 1969, publishes serious nonfiction for adults, about 90 new books a year. Its strengths are current affairs and international relations, history, politics, Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, African and South Asian studies, and war, intelligence and terrorism.
Hurst reads proposals sent directly by authors. It co-publishes with Oxford University Press in New York for the Americas. It does not reply to anything outside serious adult nonfiction.
What Hurst is looking for
- Current affairs and international relations
- History and politics
- Islamic, Middle Eastern, African and South Asian studies
- War, intelligence and terrorism
- Sociology, anthropology and development
Publishes
- Academic
- History
- Independent
- Nonfiction
- Religion and Spirituality
Readers
- Adult
How to submit to Hurst
From its own guidelines- Write a proposal of at least 1,500 words: synopsis, your CV, chapter titles with summaries, competing titles, length and completion date.
- Add sample chapters.
- Email it to the editorial address on Hurst's contact page.
- Ask before sending large image files.
Is Hurst right for your book?
A good fit if
You are an expert, journalist or scholar writing serious nonfiction for general adult readers.
Look elsewhere if
- Fiction, poetry or children's books
- Light or general-interest nonfiction
- Files full of images sent without asking first
Books published by Hurst
Well-known titles- Lost Islamic History
- Inglorious Empire
- The Accidental Guerrilla
- The Road to Somewhere
- African Europeans
Questions about Hurst
Do Hurst Publishers accept unsolicited proposals?
Yes. Hurst Publishers reads proposals for serious adult nonfiction sent directly by authors by email. The proposal should run to at least 1,500 words and include a synopsis, your CV, chapter summaries, competing titles, word length, completion date and sample chapters.
What subjects do Hurst Publishers cover?
Hurst Publishers covers current affairs and international relations, history, politics, Islamic and Middle Eastern studies, African and South Asian studies, sociology and development, and war, intelligence and terrorism. It publishes about 90 new books a year, all serious nonfiction for adults.
Will Hurst reply to every submission?
Hurst says it will try to respond as soon as it can to proposals in its areas. It will not respond to submissions outside serious adult nonfiction, so check the fit before you send. Its FAQ also warns authors to be careful with unexpected messages about their book.
Listing history
- Checked on the publisher's own site
