Conniff moves to OWN IT! for pirate follow-up

Publisher and lifestyle brand OWN IT! is to release Sam Conniff's How to Be More Pirate, a follow-up to his debut with Penguin.

OWN IT! founder and publisher Crystal Mahey-Morgan acquired world all language, audio, film and TV rights to the book, which is a follow up to the 2018-published Be More Pirate (Penguin). The author, also a social entrepreneur and consultant, founded a societal movement of the same name too, seeking to "reinvent" and "challenge" the status quo. The book is co-written with Alex Barker, who previously worked at the Royal Society of Arts before joining "the pirate movement".

While publicising his first book two year ago, Conniff took matters into his own hands to maximise publicity, flyposting Penguin Random House's offices in London's Vauxhall as part of a guerrilla marketing stunt illustrating his philosophy of "good trouble".

In the new book, he and Barker will trace the "community’s evolution over the past year" and outline a vision for change. In the synopsis, it is described as a work that "comprises real peoples’ lives and testimonies: their moments of bravery and revelation, their missteps and mischief. It is a testament to the transformational power of a movement and a practical manifesto for aspiring pirates".

The publishers commented: “We’re truly excited to be publishing the follow up to Be More Pirate. It’s a celebration of an eclectic mix of individual and organisations’ stories which show how small actions or shifts in thinking can have a huge positive impact on society and the world. The overarching idea that anyone can make a different and affect change for good, coupled with inspirational stories and practical tips makes this the book that everyone needs in their life.”

Conniff and Barker said in a joint statement: “It can be daunting when we look at the scale of the challenges we face; the idea behind the book is to break it down, not theoretically, but based on what others have tried. From Mercedes to the NHS, to the world’s largest health and safety body, pirates have surfaced in the most unexpected of places. This book explains the different ways you can challenge and change the ways things are done, whoever, and wherever you are."

OWN IT! will publish the book on 24th September.