Anita Rani's 'deeply personal' memoir to Bonnier

Bonnier Books UK will publish The Right Sort of Girl, a "deeply personal" coming-of-age memoir from broadcaster Anita Rani. 

Beth Eynon, senior editor, acquired world English language rights from Cathryn Summerhayes at Curtis Brown. The memoir will be published in July 2021 in hardback e-book and audiobook, which will be narrated by Rani. 

In The Right Sort of Girl, Rani will explore how she was "the brownest kid at [her] posh white school and the whitest kid in [her] brown life" and how she navigated life by learning to adapt to all kinds of situations she did not quite fit in. She will regale readers with her "sheer pluckiness and determination" which helped her to overcome tricky odds and find a new way to define who she was, says the publisher. 

Eynon said: "We fell in love with Anita and her book. Anita is a natural writer and storyteller—and one of the most hard-working people you will ever meet. It’s my absolute pleasure to be publishing her memoir, both a modern woman's manifesto for life and a passionate and hilarious telling of her life. With serious topics of family, culture and identity explored alongside the beautiful rolling Yorkshire hills and the politics of Punjabi picnics, The Right Sort of Girl fizzes with energy, passion and heart. Her self-belief and determination will inspire so many readers."

Rani commented: "I am so thrilled to be publishing my memoir with the team at Blink and Bonnier Books UK. It’s been my passion project all through this crazy year of lockdown and I can’t wait to have people other than me read it next year! This book is incredibly personal and close to my heart. Essentially, it’s a letter to 16-year-old me, what I wish I had known and the wisdom on growing up that I hope might come in useful for others. I hope that all readers will enjoy and relate as I discuss growing up Northern and brown and talk about my identity and belonging, race, ambition, and overcoming barriers to find a new way to define who I am."

Rani is one of the lead presenters on BBC's "Countryfile" and is a regular presenter on BBC Radio 2.