The Bookseller – Rights – Vicky Spratt’s second book goes to Fourth Estate

Michelle Kane, PR and Publishing Director at Fourth Estate, has acquired UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) for Vicky Spratt’s second book from Emma Paterson at Aitken Alexander. We were promised the moon The release is planned for 2025.

Combining her own experiences and the stories of women she has met over the past decade travelling the UK as a journalist, Spratt’s new book is an in-depth examination of how the economic context of the past 30 years has shaped the lives of millennials and Generation Z – their finances, relationships and ideas of what a good life looks like.

Vicky Spratt is a journalist, author and housing rights advocate. Her book Renter was published by Profile in 2022 and rated as Financial Times Book of the Year. She is a columnist and housing correspondent for the i Paper Her work has seen her nominated for a British Journalism Award two years running and shortlisted for the Orwell Prize. She is also working on a comedy-drama television series.

Spratt said, “They say you should write about what you know. Well, I do know this much… for millions of young adults, life is not what they expected it to be. Many friends and people I meet as I travel around the country have internalized feelings of guilt and shame because they can’t afford a home or child care. They also struggle to keep up with the lifestyle of Instagram influencers while constantly checking their bank balances and wondering if there are problems. It’s not their fault. There are economic and social reasons for the situation we’re in, and it doesn’t have to be this way.”

Kane added: “I have long been an admirer of Vicky’s work, so when the opportunity to work with her on this brilliant project came up, I jumped at the chance. She is one of our most brilliant young thinkers and dedicated journalists – whether she is driving legal change for renters in England or exposing the impact of the contraceptive pill on mental health, she is always motivated to create positive change in society. In this new book, she focuses on exposing the myriad issues facing young adults today and how we as a society have managed to let these generations down. But as always, Vicky’s work shows us that it is not hopeless, and offers credible solutions for a better future – let’s hope the Government listens to her!”