Weidenfeld & Nicolson is scheduled to launch series of short books by podcasters Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey, which tell the story of “popular – but often misunderstood – political terms”.
The first three titles in the series – Conspiracy Theory, Fascism and Centrism – will be published by Weidenfeld & Nicolson (W&N) in November 2024.
Jenny Lord, executive publisher at W&N and Orion Literary, acquired world rights from Antony Topping at Greene & Heaton and Lisa Moylett at Coombs Moylett Maclean.
The series description reads: “The words we use shape the world we live in – so it matters when we get them wrong. This series, from Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey – creators of the chart-topping ‘Origin Story’ podcast – sheds much-needed light on the true meanings and surprising stories behind some of our most used and abused political terms. Where did they originate? Who coined them – and why? How have their definitions changed over time? And what do they mean to people today? These small guides to (very) big ideas are an antidote to confusion and conspiracism, bringing clarity back to the conversations we have about politics.”
Lord said of the acquisition: “Skilled communicators of complex ideas, Ian and Dorian are also brilliant storytellers. The antidote to a dry academic introduction, but no less rigorous, these short guides to often misunderstood terms are as entertaining as they are informative. If you’ve ever pondered the origins of the first widely disseminated conspiracy theory, questioned if Donald Trump truly embodies fascism or wondered what it really means to be a centrist – these are the books for you.”
Dunt is a columnist for the i newspaper, the UK correspondent for ABC’s Late Night Live and regularly appears as a political pundit on TV and radio. He is the author of Brexit: What the Hell Happens Now and How to be a Liberal with Canbury Press, and the Sunday Times bestselling How Westminster Works... and Why It Doesn’t with W&N.
He commented: “These are explosive little books: funny, fast-moving, surprising and delightful. But they’re also reliable and authoritative. All the rigour with none of the boredom – that’s our promise to the reader. Our mission is to take terms that are only half-understood and provide a complete account of precisely what they mean and where they come from.”
Lynskey has been writing about music, politics, film and books for over twenty years for publications including the Guardian, Observer, Spectator, New Statesman and GQ. He is the author of 33 Revolutions Per Minute: A History of Protest Songs (Faber & Faber) as well as The Ministry of Truth: A Biography of George Orwell’s 1984 and Everything Must Go: The Stories We Tell About the End of the World, both published by Picador.
Lynskey commented: “The idea is to expand key episodes of the podcast into short books with the same focus on pacey narratives, fascinating characters and inappropriate jokes. When the misuse of history to score political points on social media drives us mad, it’s quite therapeutic to explain what actually happened and how it affects us all today. As the BBC’s Lord Reith put it: inform, educate, entertain."