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Aurum acquires rights to 'powerful' book by former Met assistant commissioner Neil Basu
Aurum, an imprint of Quarto, has acquired the rights to Turmoil: 30 Years of Policing, Politics and Prejudice by former assistant commissioner at the Metropolitan Police, Neil Basu. Nira Begum, senior commissioning editor, acquired world English language rights from Amberley Lowis, formerly at the Viney Agency. The book will publish in April 2025.
Turmoil is a glimpse into a career book-ended by the racist murder of Stephen Lawrence and culminating in Louise Casey’s damning report of institutional racism in the Met. It opens on London’s most deprived and violent streets and moves into the heart of New Scotland Yard, detailing high-profile cases, public inquiries and inquests including that of Stephen Lawrence, Mark Duggan and Azelle Rodney. His book reveals the truth about modern policing and the racism across the Met.
Basu said: "There are few jobs that take as much from you as policing or require you to always put other people’s families before your own. This is my love letter to policing, and an apology to my own family for what it took from me and them. But if it’s a love letter, it’s penned by an angry lover. I think I have earned the right to criticise, and here I attempt to show why the profession I love so much will continue to fail if it fails to understand the role of institutional prejudice in its downfall. It was a wonderfully cathartic experience to write this book, and I am very grateful to Nira and Aurum for getting it out of my head and onto the page."
Begum said: "Neil has had a remarkable career with the biggest and most controversial police force in the UK. He offers an unparalleled insight into policing and shines a light on what it was like to climb the ranks as an officer of colour, what the job meant to him and ultimately what it took from him by the end. It’s an absolute pleasure to be publishing his book."
