Biteback lands John Bercow biography

Biteback will publish a biography of John Bercow, Speaker of the House of Commons, next year. 

Olivia Beattie, editorial director at Biteback Publishing, acquired world rights to the "definitive biography" of Bercow, direct from the author Sebastian Whale (pictured), political editor of the weekly political magazine, the House. Provisionally titled John Bercow - Out of Order, the biography will be published in hardback in 2020. 

"With Brexit still unresolved, Bercow is determined to ensure that he, the 157th person to occupy the Speaker’s Chair, leaves an indelible imprint on the history books," reads the synopsis. "From suffering at the hands of bullies to standing up for backbenchers in the Commons, this is the story of John Simon Bercow, the son of a taxi driver from north London, and one of the most fascinating characters to grace the corridors of the Palace of Westminster."

Whale said: “Divisive, controversial, atypical, John Bercow embodies the fraught nature of British politics today. A Commons Speaker some see as a great moderniser and others as a constitutional arsonist. A man who is revered by his one-time political opponents and hated by his former bedfellows. As Bercow looks set to feature heavily in the latest chapter on Brexit, it is a privilege to be capturing for Biteback his journey from right-wing youth to liberal figurehead.”  

Beattie added: “As a fractured parliament wrestles with the thorniest political dilemma since the Second World War, John Bercow’s energetic and frequently controversial stewardship has ensured that the House of Commons remains centre stage in the great Brexit battle. Seb’s keen insight and astute interviewing style make him perfectly placed to explore the hinterland of this fascinating and influential figure, and Biteback couldn’t be more delighted to be publishing what promises to be one of the most colourful political biographies of 2020.”