Hurst specializes in books on global affairs and has lists in Islamic Studies, European History, War & Conflict, African Studies and International Relations.

[3][4] Hurst authors include the French intellectual Olivier Roy, the British cultural critic Ziauddin Sardar, the Australian counterinsurgency expert David Kilcullen, and the historians Faisal Devji and Christopher Davidson, among others.

The Hurst imprint publishes approximately 65 new books a year.

Christopher Hurst (1929–2007) founded the publishing house and pursued his, sometimes eclectic, interests, including Scandinavian culture and Balkan history.

[5][6][7] Hurst Publishers works in collaboration with Oxford University Press in New York to publish most of its list as Oxford University Press editions in North America.