Lord Ashcroft has announced that he will be writing newly appointed prime minister, Liz Truss’, biography – just minutes after Truss emerged as winner of the ministerial race. With rumours already circulating of a book about the new PM to come out this Autumn, Ashcroft declares that his project will be ‘different’, capturing the multiple challenges she will face in her new role bound to test even the most experienced leader. Commenting on the value of biographies in a space where agency over one’s narrative is often hijacked by external sources, Rutger Bruining, CEO and founder of the nation’s leading biography-writing service, StoryTerrace, discusses the importance of memoirs as a means to cement one’s identity – particularly for those in the public eye.
Inheriting a wealth of responsibilities from former leader, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss, the third female prime minister in UK history, is propelled under the national spotlight with British news articles quick to share information about her history, upbringing and interests within seconds of her appointment. In hopes to dispel any misinformation, contributing to an inaccurate image of Liz Truss, Ashcroft has postulated that he will adopt an approach to his ghost-writing that is “accurate, objective, open-minded, fair, factual and even-handed” allowing Truss to make a mark on the nation that is her own.
Research from StoryTerrace found that despite the challenges associated with having one’s life story penned, over a third (31%) of Brits agree that having their story written is far easier than speaking about it, perhaps, this in part explains the haste to which Truss agreed to have her biography written – to effectively communicate the truth about her journey before becoming PM and the events that follow.
Rutger Bruining, founder and CEO of StoryTerrace, has seen how thousands of people have benefitted from documenting their life stories. Commenting on the news of Liz Truss’ memoir, he says:
“Despite facing criticism or challenges under the public eye, individuals who decide to have their story told are taking control of their lives, forging their own paths and simply taking the next step in their personal journeys. The new British PM, Liz Truss, is one such individual.
“It will be interesting to see how this biography will turn out as political biographies invariably play a key role in developing our understanding of our country’s history. Acting as a way of capturing history as it happens, these memoirs will be used to educate and inform the generations that are to follow. This speaks to the power of memoirs more widely and their ability to preserve the history of a country, but also an individual.
“There is power in writing. Whether it is daily journaling, writing a novel, or even writing a card. It is one of the purest forms of self-expression and allows room for creativity, self-exploration and even just some fun to past the time. We have the pleasure of seeing exactly how writing directly benefits not just our clients but our amazing ghostwriters as well.”
