View all newsletters
Sign up to our newsletters

Support 110 years of independent journalism.

  1. Culture
  2. Books
8 November 2018

Who Are We? Stories of Modern England will explore the nation’s divided sense of self

In his new book, the New Statesman editor, Jason Cowley, will take a close look at the key news stories of the past 15 years to uncover how we got here and where we might be heading.

By New Statesman

Georgina Morley has acquired, in a pre-empt from Andrew Gordon at David Higham Associates, UK & Commonwealth rights for Who Are We? Stories of Modern England by Jason Cowley. It will be published in spring 2021.

George Morley, Picador Non-Fiction Editorial Director, said: “Who Are We? will be a riveting, story-based account of an England poised on the brink of enormous change.  The proposal is intelligent, thoughtful and often moving and I have no doubt that the finished book will be essential reading when we publish it.”

In Who Are We? Stories of Modern England, Jason Cowley, editor of the New Statesman, examines contemporary England through a handful of the key news stories of the last fifteen years and reveals what they tell us about the country we live in now. Riven by Brexit and a decade of austerity, by class, the divide between rural and city, race and immigration, England is at a crossroads and understanding not only how we got here but where we might be heading is the vital subject for our time.

Jason Cowley commented: “The book is an exploration of England and Englishness, at a moment of profound change and upheaval, and I’m thrilled to be working with the brilliant Picador team on it – once I knew they were interested, there was nowhere else I’d rather have been published.”  

Jason Cowley is a journalist, magazine editor and writer. He has been widely credited with transforming the fortunes of the New Statesman. He is a former editor of Granta and has worked in senior roles on The Times and Observer. According to the European Press Prize, “Cowley has succeeded in revitalising the New Statesman and re-establishing its position as an influential political and cultural weekly. He has given it an edge and a relevance to current affairs it hasn’t had for years.” In 2017, he was voted Editor of the Year – Politics and Current Affairs for the third time at the British Society of Magazine Editors awards. He is the author of a memoir, The Last Game: Love, Death and Football, about Arsenal’s last-gasp victory in the 1988–89 football season and the birth of the new football, published by Simon & Schuster.

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU

Picador will publish Who Are We? in the spring of 2021.

Content from our partners
Inside the UK's enduring love for chocolate
Unlocking the potential of a national asset, St Pancras International
Time for Labour to turn the tide on children’s health

Select and enter your email address Your weekly guide to the best writing on ideas, politics, books and culture every Saturday. The best way to sign up for The Saturday Read is via saturdayread.substack.com The New Statesman's quick and essential guide to the news and politics of the day. The best way to sign up for Morning Call is via morningcall.substack.com Our Thursday ideas newsletter, delving into philosophy, criticism, and intellectual history. The best way to sign up for The Salvo is via thesalvo.substack.com Stay up to date with NS events, subscription offers & updates. Weekly analysis of the shift to a new economy from the New Statesman's Spotlight on Policy team. The best way to sign up for The Green Transition is via spotlightonpolicy.substack.com
  • Administration / Office
  • Arts and Culture
  • Board Member
  • Business / Corporate Services
  • Client / Customer Services
  • Communications
  • Construction, Works, Engineering
  • Education, Curriculum and Teaching
  • Environment, Conservation and NRM
  • Facility / Grounds Management and Maintenance
  • Finance Management
  • Health - Medical and Nursing Management
  • HR, Training and Organisational Development
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Information Services, Statistics, Records, Archives
  • Infrastructure Management - Transport, Utilities
  • Legal Officers and Practitioners
  • Librarians and Library Management
  • Management
  • Marketing
  • OH&S, Risk Management
  • Operations Management
  • Planning, Policy, Strategy
  • Printing, Design, Publishing, Web
  • Projects, Programs and Advisors
  • Property, Assets and Fleet Management
  • Public Relations and Media
  • Purchasing and Procurement
  • Quality Management
  • Science and Technical Research and Development
  • Security and Law Enforcement
  • Service Delivery
  • Sport and Recreation
  • Travel, Accommodation, Tourism
  • Wellbeing, Community / Social Services
Visit our privacy Policy for more information about our services, how Progressive Media Investments may use, process and share your personal data, including information on your rights in respect of your personal data and how you can unsubscribe from future marketing communications.
THANK YOU