Atlantic acquires Atkins’ Time After Time

Atlantic Books has scooped Time After Time: Repeat Offenders, the Inside Stories by BAFTA-nominated filmmaker and journalist Chris Atkins.

Mike Harpley acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Gordon Wise at Curtis Brown. Harpley, who is now publishing director at Pan Macmillan, acquired rights in Time After Time while he was non-fiction publishing director at Atlantic. Publisher Ed Faulkner has now taken over as editor of the book, which will be published in hardcover in September 2023.

Atkins became embroiled in "a dodgy scheme" to fund his latest film in 2016, and was handed a five-year prison sentence for tax fraud. He has written an account of his time in HMP Wandsworth in his book A Bit of a Stretch: The Diaries of a Prisoner (Atlantic Books). 

The synopsis reads: "Where A Bit of a Stretch exposed prisons as a dysfunctional mess, Time After Time will show how our broken probation system makes reoffending even more likely. British prisoners endure some of the most inhumane and barbaric conditions imaginable, so why do so many of them keep going back?

"Former inmate and documentary maker Chris Atkins has spent the past six years tracking the fortunes of a dozen repeat offenders to understand why the state fails to keep them out of trouble. From the ex-con who escaped jail by pretending to be his twin brother to the man who was put back inside indefinitely for not attending a party, Time After Time features hilarious, shocking and enraging stories which show why the system actually makes reoffending all but inevitable for ex-prisoners."

Atkins commented: "After my release I was shocked by how many of my prisoner friends kept going back inside. My own imprisonment gave me unparalleled access to the criminal underworld, enabling me to track a colourful cast of repeat offenders for seven years. I found a system so broken that it’s almost impossible to escape the cycle of reoffending."

Wise said: "Chris and I are so pleased to be working again with the talented and creative team at Atlantic. They played a complete blinder with the very successful publication of A Bit of a Stretch and we’re looking forward to another dynamic campaign for Time After Time."

Faulkner added: "Not only is Chris a hugely entertaining writer, but he is also a fierce campaigner for reform in the criminal justice system. Time After Time is a must read for anyone who cares about making society better."