Diane Abbott's 'powerful' memoir won by Viking in six-way auction

Viking has won a six-publisher auction for veteran Labour politician Diane Abbott's “powerful” memoir, A Woman Like Me.

UK and Commonwealth rights were acquired by editorial assistant Alpana Sajip and publisher Mary Mount from Juliet Pickering at Blake Friedmann. The memoir will be published in hardback, e-book and audiobook in summer 2022.

Its publication will mark the 35th anniversary of Abbott's June 1987 election to Parliament, becoming the first Black woman to do so. Since then she has spent more than three decades in politics, campaigning for everything from increasing access to education through the Black Child Initiative, to consistently voting in favour of higher disability benefits. “With her trademark frankness and humour, her memoir, A Woman Like Me, will celebrate an extraordinary life and encourage a new generation to surpass expectations, just as she has done,” the publisher said.

The synopsis explains: “In her honest and moving book, Diane takes the reader through her incredible journey, from growing up in north London with her Jamaican parents to entering the Houses of Parliament as a bright and ambitious young politician. In doing so, she paints a candid portrait of what it’s like to face a barrage of hostility every day, shows us how she was able to battle impostor syndrome and succeed against the odds, and empowers us with the strength to change the fabric of this country for the better.”

 Abbott said: “I am very excited to be working on this memoir with Viking. It is a long-awaited chance to tell my own story, in my own words. My parents were part of the 'Windrush' generation. Nobody could have guessed that their bespectacled little girl would grow up to be a British Member of Parliament. This will be the story of that journey.”

Sajip added: “Diane is a titan of British public and political life, and we couldn’t be prouder to be publishing her memoir. She has inspired generations of Britons through her unwavering efforts, and we know that by sharing her story with the world, she will continue to do so.”