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Dorries writes 'The Plot' on Johnson's downfall for HarperCollins
HarperCollins has acquired to The Plot: The Political Assassination of Boris Johnson by former culture secretary Nadine Dorries.
HarperNonFiction publisher Adam Humphrey negotiated the deal for world all-language rights with Piers Blofeld at Sheil Land Associates. The Plot will be published in hardback, audiobook and e-book on 28th September 2023. The deal announcement comes seven months after initial reports about the book in the Evening Standard in which Dorries described it as a "a political whodunit".
The blurb for The Plot, her first book for HarperCollins, reads: “Boris Johnson came to power in 2019 with a larger share of the popular vote than Tony Blair. Rewriting the political map of the UK, he united a party and shattered Labour’s fabled red wall. And yet, just three years later, he was ousted by the same MPs who had greeted his leadership so rapturously. What had gone so wrong?
“The Plot is the seismic, untold story of how the most charismatic politician of his generation was driven from office. With unparalleled access, Nadine Dorries speaks to dozens of inside sources ranging from Cabinet ministers to the lowliest spads [special advisers], civil servants and party officials and through their testimony she pieces together a profoundly shocking story of powerful, unaccountable forces operating behind the scenes who became the architects of a prime minister’s downfall.”
Dorries said: “When I started this book, I had no idea of the journey I was embarking on. But the more people I talked to in the heart of Westminster, the deeper the story unfolded.
“If you thought that power flowed from the people into parliament, be prepared to think again.”
Humphrey said: “Nadine’s unique vantage point, unparalleled access to sources, and innate storytelling ability will provide readers of The Plot with a rare opportunity to walk the corridors of power and understand the behind-the-scenes machinations of Westminster. The Plot is an urgent look at how our government really operates, and I look forward to it adding to the current political discourse.”
Johnson quit as an MP last month, accusing the Privileges Committee of "political assassination" following its findings that he had deliberately misled the Commons over lockdown parties at Number 10. The committee said it would have recommended suspending him from the Commons if he had not already quit. HarperCollins announced at the beginning of the year it had acquired Johnson’s memoir, though no publication date has yet been set.
Dorries served 18 years in Westminster working her way up the ministerial ranks. She served as a minister of state in the department of health throughout the pandemic finishing as secretary of state at the department of Digital Culture, Media & Sport before resigning last September. She is also a Sunday Times bestselling novelist, published by Head of Zeus, and has urged for more support for libraries and to open up access to the industry for those from underprivileged backgrounds.
Also due this autumn is former PM Theresa May’s The Abuse of Power, described as “a searing exposé of injustice and an impassioned call to exercise power for the greater good", published by Headline.
