Fatima, publisher seal deal for memoir

Islamabad, May 25: Slain former Pakistan Premier Benazir Bhutto’s niece Fatima Bhutto is ready to tell her clan’s story to the world — her memoir challenging "the conventional wisdom about Pakistan" will be released in two years’ time.

Fatima’s memoir will explore four generations of her family history, marked by tragedy and division — including the stories of her grandfather Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto, executed in 1979; her uncle Shahnawaz Bhutto, murdered in 1985; her father Murtaza Bhutto, killed in 1996, and her aunt Benazir Bhutto, assassinated last year.

The story of Fatima — who was a bitter critic of Benazir and also ridiculed her 19-year-old son Bilawal Bhutto Zardari for taking "dynastic politics" forward when he accepted the chairmanship of the PPP after his mother’s assassination — aroused a lot of interest at the London Book Fair recently. The memoir by the fiery 25-year-old has been bought by a UK-based publisher Jonathan Cape.

"Fatima’s story challenges the conventional wisdom about Pakistan, about the politics of family, and about the relationship between women and power," Mr Cape said shortly after sealing the deal with Fatima. The book will appear in 2010. Fatima’s literary agent is London David Godwin, who also represents around 100 top authors including India’s Arundhati Roy, sold the rights of the memoir to Ellah Allfrey at Jonathan Cape.

Mr Allfrey acquired UK and Commonwealth rights — excluding Canada, India and Pakistan — in the as yet untitled book for a "substantial" sum, Fatima’s agent was quoted as saying by Bookseller.Com. "We went to see six publishers and Fatima really liked two. We only asked those two to offer; Cape was the best and I think they will publish it brilliantly," Mr Godwin said. Mr Allfrey said "it’s exciting to have acquired a non-fiction work by a hugely talented young woman that so clearly promises an enhanced, more rounded awareness of the world beyond our newspapers."

—PTI