Sketch writer Crace's novel and memoir goes to 4th Estate

4th Estate will publish a novel and memoir by parliamentary sketch writer John Crace.

Nicholas Pearson, editorial director at the HarperCollins imprint, bought British Commonwealth rights to two books by Crace from Matthew Hamilton at Aitken Alexander. The first is a novel which will be published in 2020 followed by a memoir as yet unscheduled.

Crace is the Guardian's parliamentary sketch writer and author of I, Maybot: The Rise and Fall, published last year by Guardian Faber. He writes the Digested Read for G2.

Pearson says: "When John took me to Prime Minister’s Question Time recently, as we left the chamber he asked me if I was ‘suitably unenlightened’. No one has been a better guide to the political shambles of the last two years than John Crace - for many his daily pieces examining the chaos have been a balm. He is one of Britain’s greatest satirists and the novel he is writing about Theresa May is both very funny and disturbingly dark."

On Crace's memoir, he added: "Earlier this year John’s Guardian piece about his struggle with drugs and depression as a young man was both harrowing and very inspiring for its readers. His memoir will try to make sense of his addiction and bring the story up to date by drawing on the recovery process that has been ongoing for more than 30 years."

Crace says: "Having got to know Nicholas and having looked at his stellar record of fiction and memoir publishing, I know I’m with the right people."