Matthew d’Ancona’s post-truth 'fightback manifesto' to Ebury

Ebury is to publish Post-Truth, an investigation into the current political period by journalist Matthew d'Ancona.

Ebury deputy publisher Andrew Goodfellow has acquired world all language rights from Caroline Michel at PFD.

Inspired by the tradition of political pamphleteering and the principle that "in times of intellectual crisis, speed of response is of the essence", Ebury will publish in May as a paperback original.

The publisher said: "Welcome to the Post-Truth era. From Trump to Putin to Brexit, we have entered a new period where clandestine technologies exploit big data and social media, manipulating, polarising and entrenching opinion. A climate has arisen where trust has evaporated, conspiracy theories thrive, the authority of the media has wilted and emotions matter more than facts. The very foundations of democracy are under threat.

In the title d’Ancona will investigate how we got here, why quiet resignation is not an option and "how we can and must fight back".  He will draw on the latest academic research and his many years of experience at the heart of politics.

Goodfellow said: "As we sit in the eye of the raging post-truth storm, some perspective and background on how we got here and what it actually means for us all is urgently needed. I think Matthew’s clear, wise and practical unravelling of the subject will make this an absolute must-read."

D’Ancona added: "We are standing at a political and cultural fork in the road, as the very idea of truth is undermined by a host of forces old and new. This book will be a call to arms, explaining how we got here and what we need to do next."

D'Ancona is a former deputy editor of the Sunday Telegraph, he was appointed editor of The Spectator in February 2006, a post he retained until August 2009. In January 2015, d'Ancona joined The Guardian as a weekly columnist. He also writes columns for the Evening Standard, GQ and the New York Times.