Blink Publishing, a non-fiction imprint of Bonnier Books UK, will publish the ‘inspirational and moving’ memoir by Tom Parker, a member of the boyband The Wanted.
Susannah Otter, publishing director for Blink acquired Hope with UK and Commonwealth rights (excluding Canada) from Oscar Janson-Smith at Gleam Futures.
In 2020, Tom Parker had it all. A beautiful wife, a chart-topping pop career, a baby on the way… And then one November morning, he passed out, and woke up in hospital. A diagnosis for stage IV brain cancer followed. A diagnosis which did not give him long to live. And yet, two years on, he is still here.
Hope will tell his story, from his working class beginnings in Bolton and his rise to meteoric, chart-topping fame with The Wanted to his cancer diagnosis and search for a cure through both chemotherapy and alternative methods.
Susannah Otter said: ‘Along with millions of others, I was deeply moved by Tom’s documentary and the courage he has shown in the face of his illness. This book will be a real beacon and we are honoured to publish it.’
Tom Parker said: ‘This is a book about finding hope no matter what, and living your best life no matter what. It will show you how having faith in hope and daring to dream means you can carry on, against all odds. I’m so pleased to be working with Bonnier on this project.’
Oscar Janson-Smith said: ‘While it contains plenty of content for his fans, Tom ultimately wanted this to be a book that’d bring hope to all its readers. He’s been more than ably abetted in achieving this by Susannah and her team at Bonnier, in whom I believe we’ve found the perfect partner for this very special book. I cannot wait for people to read this.’
Tom Parker was diagnosed with Stage IV Gliablastoma in 2020. He is now working hard to raise awareness of the condition, including organising a massive concert in aid of Stand Up 2 Cancer in winter 2021, an undertaking that was documented in the acclaimed Inside My Head and aired on Channel 4. He is the proud father of two children. The book will be written with Grant Brydon, a music journalist and author.
Hope will be publishing on 21st July by Blink Publishing in hardback, eBook and audio, £20.00. Signed edition will be available at WHSmiths.
