Ash Sarkar debut bought by Bloomsbury in 'major' pre-empt deal

Bloomsbury is to publish Minority Rule, the debut book by political commentator and journalist Ash Sarkar, after pre-empting the work in a "major deal". 

Associate publisher Alexis Kirschbaum bought UK and Commonwealth and audio rights from Emma Paterson at Aitken Alexander Associates, triumphing over six other publishers which attempted to pre-empt overnight. Publication will be supported by a large-scale marketing and publicity campaign. A date for release has not yet been set.

Minority Rule will examine how "the reactionary right has harnessed culture wars to promote the idea that those who traditionally occupied a dominant position in society are in danger of being subjugated by those on the margins".  

Focusing particularly on the 2007-2008 financial crisis to the present day, Sarkar will argue that the Conservative Party, and the Republicans under Donald Trump, have stoked fears of minority rule in order to re-invent themselves as the parties of the "left behind". She claims that in doing so, they have drawn attention away from the real issues we face today, from the climate crisis to the rise of the gig economy, and convinced those who are safest in society that their way of life is under threat. 

Sarkar is a writer, lecturer, journalist and political commentator. A contributing editor of Novara Media, she has written for the Guardian, Independent and Huffington Post, with regular appearances on British television and radio, including "Question Time", "Good Morning Britain" and "Jeremy Vine on 5". She has been called one of "the internet’s best left-wing thinkers" by the Spectator, and was named Media Personality of the Year by the Asian Media Awards in 2019. Sarkar also lectures at the Sandberg Instituut in Amsterdam, and has taught Global Politics at Anglia Ruskin University. 

Commenting on the deal, she said: "I’m over the moon that Bloomsbury has decided to publish my first book, Minority Rule. I’ve been nurturing this idea for a long time, trying to find the right home for it. Bloomsbury has a reputation for publishing epoch-defining non-fiction, and it's such an honour to join a list of authors whose books have been powerful influences on my own thinking."

Kirschbaum added: "Ash Sarkar is the voice of a generation. In Minority Rule she has coined a phrase and a concept that will enter public consciousness and debate going forward. I can’t think of a writer better equipped to characterise today’s culture wars, and we are all absolutely thrilled to welcome Ash to Bloomsbury."