Former Prime Minister Boris Johnson has inked a deal to publish a book about his rocky time as prime minister, branded as a “memoir like no other”.
The rights to the untitled memoir have been purchased by HarperCollins. The account of Mr. Johnson’s tenure in office has yet to be published.
A biographer and friend of Mr. Johnson predicted that the former Prime Minister would profit handsomely from the booking agreement.
“It will be incredibly accessible, and there will be no need for a ghostwriter,” Andrew Gimson, author of The Rise of Boris Johnson, told the BBC. “People pay exorbitant prices for these books.”
Mr. Johnson’s memoir about his time as Prime Minister might fetch “north of £1m,” according to literary agencies.
HarperCollins declined to reveal how much Mr. Johnson was paid for the transaction, when the book might be completed, or how many copies it planned to sell.
Arabella Pike, the company’s publishing director, said in a statement,
“I look forward to working with Boris Johnson as he writes his account of his time in office amid some of the most historic events the United Kingdom has witnessed in recent times.”
Mr. Johnson was pushed to retire by his ministers in July after a series of scandals shook public trust in his leadership.
He attempted a comeback after his successor, Liz Truss, resigned within weeks of assuming office, but eventually stepped aside, allowing Rishi Sunak to become prime minister.
Mr. Johnson’s presidency was characterized in part by the Covid-19 epidemic and the United Kingdom’s exit from the European Union.
‘Restoration of his reputation’
Mr. Johnson has stated that he will run for office again in the next general election, fueling suspicion that he is planning a return to frontline politics.
Mr. Gimson said the memoir will be “a crucial exercise in salvaging his reputation” and “part of the audience for this will be his own party”.
“He’s got to convince those individuals that I’m worth another shot,” Mr. Gimson added, expecting that the book will be released this year.
A former journalist, Mr. Johnson had a long career in the media before becoming prime minister, including as editor of the Spectator from 1999 to 2005 and as a columnist for the Telegraph.
Other UK prime ministers have landed lucrative book deals, with substantial sums paid for publishing rights.
Sir Tony Blair was reportedly paid almost £5 million for his political biography A Journey in 2007, while David Cameron was reportedly paid £1.5 million for his memoir For The Record.
Mr. Johnson is the author of several books, including The Churchill Factor, a biography of his idol and wartime leader Sir Winston Churchill.
Mr. Johnson, a backbench Conservative MP, has also made a lot of money on the speaking circuit, declaring more than £1 million in speaking fees since leaving parliament in September.
Last week, legislative documents revealed that Mr. Johnson’s company had received a £1 million donation from a cryptocurrency investor.
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