Friday, August 06, 2010

Biteback Signs Up Peter Sissons Memoirs

I am delighted to announce that my company, Biteback Publishing, has secured the memoirs of veteran broadcaster, Peter Sissons. In When One Door Closes, Sissons, one of Britain’s most popular and outspoken news anchors, describes an extraordinary career at the heart of British broadcasting. He says, “I’m delighted to be publishing my story with Biteback and am looking forward to working with Iain Dale and his team on the project.” When One Door Closes is published in January 2011 and is a lead title for Biteback.

I grew up watching Peter Sissons and was thrilled when I was offered the chance to publish his fascinating story. This isn’t just a book about news, it’s about Liverpool, the Beatles, being shot and much more besides. Peter isn’t afraid to launch both barrels when necessary and he gives some brilliant insights into what it’s like working in fast moving news operations and also the difficulties modern day news journalists encounter. It’s a life story, but it’s also a book that will appeal to anyone involved in news or wanting to get into journalism.

I read the manuscript while I was on holiday in Crete and it was truly gripping, especially the chapter describing when he was shot in Nigeria. Peter is also brutally honest about his time hosting Question Time and about how news is reported at managed at the BBC.

I'm often sceptical about media memoirs, but I knew as soon as I had finished reading the manuscript I wanted to publish it. I suspect a few feathers are going to be ruffled by it.

* By the way, that illustration is not going to be real cover, before anyone tells me how awful it is!

3 comments:

  1. One thing I've never been able to discover is when - if ever - the fatwa on Peter Sissons was lifted. I remember at the time of the Salman Rushdie brouhaha, Sissons' interview with a Muslim cleric created real angst in Tehran; hence the fatwa. I'm assuming that, like Rushdie's, it was eventually revoked but have never heard a definitive on this. Do the memoirs elaborate on this point?

    ReplyDelete
  2. 'Peter is also brutally honest about his time hosting Question Time and about how news is reported at managed at the BBC.' Anything to interest those of us interested in the BBC's appalling bias?

    ReplyDelete
  3. I hope he is kind about my appearance on QT when he chaired it!!

    ReplyDelete