S&S scoops two from Jess Phillips

Simon & Schuster is to publish a political memoir by Jess Phillips, secured in a two book deal. 

Holly Harris, publishing director for non-fiction, did the deal for Everything You Really Need to Know about Politics: My Life as an MP plus one further book with Laura Macdougall at United Agents, acquiring UK and Commonwealth rights.

Set for publication in May 2021, the book is described as  a "funny and personal account of life in the British political system" by the MP for Birmingham Yardley.

Commenting on the acquisition, Harris said:  "One of the things the current crisis has showed us is that we need more people from different backgrounds to grow up thinking that politics is as much a viable career for them as it is for the ‘elite’. Jess’ book brilliantly lifts the lid on what life is really like on the inside, and there’s so much we can all learn from it. So funny, so sharp, so well observed—this is an eye-opening and entertaining guide to British politics that everyone should read, and I absolutely love it."

The synopsis states: "The often archaic and sometimes confusing traditions of Westminster can be bewildering to an outsider. Jess Phillips has learned that on the inside, they can make just as little sense. She is passionate about encouraging more people from a range of backgrounds to run for office and engage with politics, and in this book shares what life is really like—from standing for election to passing a law—in a bid to make the political system more accessible. Filled with anecdotes and hilarious personal accounts of life in the Commons, this is a handbook to humanise and explain the processes that govern us all."

Phillips' two books Truth to Power (Octopus) and Everywoman (Cornerstone) have soled a combined total of 30,000 copies for £273,000 via Nielsen BookScan's UK TCM. She said: "I am excited to be working with Simon & Schuster to write about the often baffling life of an MP. The book will invite people in to the reality of life in Westminster and out on the campaign trail and I hope will encourage more to feel that the fancy palace of Westminster is meant to be for the people not the privileged."

The second book will follow in 2022.