
Credit: Rina Gill
Firefinch acquires The Secret History of the Universe by Jonathan Black
Firefinch is delighted to announce the acquisition of Jonathan Black’s much anticipated new book, The Secret History of the Universe. Black, author of the international bestseller The Secret History of the World, has written a character-driven history of mysticism and its influence on modern science, from nuclear physics to the latest AI. It shows how scientists have walked a line between genius, madness and ancient mystical ideas to create a picture of the universe which is deeply mysterious and unexpectedly spiritual.
Black has been acclaimed by Rick Rubin, legendary record producer and bestselling author of The Creative Act, who says: ‘mythology and ancient esoteric beliefs are finally found in cutting edge science’, and by Professor Jordan Giddings who calls this book ‘The Dancing Wu-Li Masters of the 21st Century’.
Kate Parkin, MD of Firefinch, who acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Jonny Geller at Curtis Brown, said: ‘This is pure intellectual entertainment, full of dark drama, humorous anecdote and wild ideas. In it, we embark on an exhilarating journey in the company of some of the greatest minds of our age towards a deeper understanding of our place in the cosmos. We are hugely proud to be bringing The Secret History of the Universe to the audience it deserves and thank Jonathan Black and Jonny Geller for their trust in our new publishing venture.’
Jonathan Black said: ‘This book is the result of many years of research, and deep conversations with prominent academics in the field. I’m thrilled it will be published by Firefinch. Kate is as energetic, focused and commercially astute as anyone I have met in publishing.’
Jonny Geller said: ‘It is always exciting to see new publishers come on the scene, and I was delighted to receive a call from Kate, an editor and publisher whom I’ve worked with and admired for many years. Jonathan Black’s remarkable new book is in great hands.’
The Secret History of the Universe will be published in June 2026.
US and translation rights are held by Curtis Brown.