Released on: February 22, 2008, 10:03 am

Press Release Author: Greg Gist

Industry: Media

Press Release Summary: Another oblique novel about the events leading the UK to war
with Iraq?

Press Release Body: Former Tony Blair spin-doctor, Alistair Campbell, says he is to
write a novel but he might find that one has already been written and done rather
well over in the United States if he is thinking of tackling the themes of media,
politics and power.

Two of the BBC Today programme's staff, Andrew Gilligan and Afshin Rattansi - whose
novel, "The Dream of the Decade" is published by Booksurge - are now working for
Iran's English language international channel, Press TV.

Rattansi, who produced at Today as it warred with the British government over the
reasons for war and before the death of government scientist, David Kelly, is now
based in Tehran. One of the last British journalists in the Islamic Republic after
the departure of correspondents for the Financial Times, The Guardian and The
Independent, he could not be reached when asked for his view of Campbell's prospects
at writing fiction.

In a piece for Critical Quarterly, published shortly after the Hutton Inquiry into
the events surrounding the death of David Kelly, Rattansi wrote:

"There's an old truism about totalitarianism: in Stalinist Russia, citizens bought
Pravda, knowing it was full of lies. They read it to discover why the authorities
were lying in a particular way on a particular day. In the heartlands of the free
world, journalists self-censor and pray to a false god called 'impartiality'. And
citizens - some citizens - believe they are being told the truth. "


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