HC to publish Piers Morgan's 'clarion call' on free speech

HarperCollins has acquired world all language rights to Wake Up: Why the ‘Liberal’ War on Free Speech is Even More Dangerous than Covid-19 by broadcaster and journalist Piers Morgan.

Executive publisher Oli Malcolm negotiated the deal for HarperNonFiction with Eugenie Furniss at 42. Wake Up will be published on 15th October 2020.

Morgan said: "The biggest threat to our freedom in the 21st century isn’t coronavirus but hysterically woke liberals trying to kill democracy by suppressing free speech. This is my clarion call, as a liberal myself, for them to stop screaming, shaming and cancelling everyone they disagree with, and start being part of the solution to global disharmony and division—not the problem."

The publisher said: "When the coronavirus tore across the globe in 2020, the world faced its biggest crisis in a generation. As the pandemic unfolded, Piers Morgan watched as the culture wars raged and deep divisions at the heart of our society were exposed. Throughout, [as co-presenter of ITV's "Good Morning Britain"] he was at the forefront, giving voice to the country’s outrage and urging the nation to come to its senses, once and for all.

"Piers has long been unashamedly vocal about the fundamental problems we face as a society, which only became clearer in the midst of the pandemic. Yet just as coronavirus exposed our flaws, it also showcased our strengths. We saw selfless bravery in the heroic efforts of our health-care staff while thousands flocked to parks for picnics. As stockpilers revealed our extraordinary levels of self-interest, we also witnessed inspiring, noble acts from members of the public such as Captain Tom Moore. And all the while, the outraged woke brigade continued to take to Twitter, shutting down debate on important issues like gender, racism and feminism.

"Wake Up is Piers’ rallying cry for a united future. He makes the case that a new type of ‘liberalism’ has emerged that is not only fundamentally illiberal, but also deeply flawed. Wake Up is a plea for a return to true liberalism, where freedom of speech is king. Above all, it’s a powerful account of how the world has finally started to wake up, and why it mustn’t go back to sleep again."

Malcolm described Wake Up as "an urgent, assertive but above all hugely compelling read", saying: "As we have seen throughout 2020, there is simply no one better in the nation right now at stress testing the rigour of an argument and provoking social debate in the widest possible audience."