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Bonnier imprint 535 signs Marie Le Conte
535, an imprint of Blink Publishing, has signed Haven’t You Heard? A Guide To Westminster Gossip And Why Mischief Gets Things Done by journalist Marie Le Conte.
In the book Le Conte examines the role gossip plays in politics, from policy rows which aren’t about policy at all and boozy nights with dramatic consequences, to people spinning their way to the top.
“Gossip is often dismissed as a frivolous and feminine pursuit, but anyone ignoring the impact it has on Westminster would be making a terrible mistake,” said Le Conte. “Politics is, as everything else, about people, and people rarely - if ever - make truly rational decisions, based on facts and nothing else. If you want to truly understand politics in this country, it is vital to factor in the friendships, the feuds, the feelings, and all the tittle-tattle that happens behind the scenes.
“The other thing is, of course, that gossip is brilliant fun: working around Westminster means being privy to all sorts of drama, failed plots and mischief, and anyone who complains that politics is too dry certainly hasn’t been really paying attention. The goal of Haven’t You Heard…? is to not only to explain why what happens in Westminster is often (worryingly) entertaining, but also why informal conversations and interpersonal relationships are what real power is based on.”
Joel Simons, senior editor of adult non-fiction at Bonnier Books UK, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Imogen Pelham at Marjacq and will publish in September 2019.
He said: “I’m absolutely delighted to be publishing this timely and revealing book by Marie, one of the most talented and well-connected political journalists working in Westminster. With the UK now entering choppy post-Brexit waters, it feels like the perfect time to lift the lid on political hearsay, and find out how some of the country’s biggest decisions are really made.”
Le Conte is a French-Moroccan political journalist based in London. She has worked for publications such as the Evening Standard, BuzzFeed News, New Statesman, Prospect, the Sunday Times, the Guardian and others.
