Little, Brown to publish investigative journalist's debut

Little, Brown is to publish White Highlands, a debut novel by John McGhie set in "one of the least known and darkest episodes in British colonial history".

Richard Beswick, managing director of Little, Brown and Abacus, bought world rights to White Highlands in a deal brokered by Piers Blofeld at Sheil Land Associates.

White Highlands is set in both the present day and Kenya in the 1950s during the Mau Mau uprising, "one of the least known and darkest episodes in British colonial history".

McGhie was an investigative journalist for the BBC, Channel Four News, and The Observer where he was Political Correspondent.  In 2003, he made his BBC documentary “White Terror”, on which this novel is in partly based.

Blofeld said: “White Highlands is one of those rare novels that combine an epic historical sweep against a beautifully depicted backdrop with a startlingly powerful insight into the colonial experience."

Beswick said: “John McGhie is a natural storyteller in the manner of William Boyd and I am sure this is the start of a very exciting career as a novelist"

White Highlands will be published by Little, Brown as a lead title in spring 2017.