Tucker Carlson Launches Publishing Imprint with Controversial Authors
Former Fox News host Tucker Carlson is set to launch his own publishing imprint, Tucker Carlson Books, as part of the US-based publisher Skyhorse. The imprint will feature books by figures such as Russell Brand and "alt-right" commentator Milo Yiannopoulos, with Carlson stating that Skyhorse is "looking for books that nobody else will publish." This move comes as Carlson expands his media ventures following his departure from Fox News in 2023.
Focus on Influential Readers and Censorship Concerns
In an interview with the Wall Street Journal, Carlson remarked, "I think most people don’t read books anymore because they’re too absorbed in all the other available media." He added that those who do read books "tend to be disproportionately influential in policy conversations and conversations about ideas." Skyhorse publisher Tony Lyons echoed this sentiment, claiming the imprint will provide "a platform to things that would, in many cases, be shut down, be censored, and be covered over by propaganda."
Controversial Titles and Author Backgrounds
Among the planned publications is Russell Brand's How to Become a Christian in Seven Days, described by Skyhorse as a "testimony and guide to a timeless, yet zeitgeist-capturing, grounded, yet psychedelic encounter with Christ." Brand, a former BBC radio host turned influencer, is currently facing serious legal charges in the UK, including three counts of rape, three counts of sexual assault, and one count of indecent assault, to which he has pleaded not guilty.
The imprint will also publish Milo Yiannopoulos's book, Ex Gay. Yiannopoulos has faced significant backlash from publishers in the past; his 2017 memoir, Dangerous, was cancelled by Simon & Schuster after controversial footage emerged. Yiannopoulos denied endorsing child abuse, stating the video was "selectively edited."
Skyhorse's History and Other Imprints
Skyhorse, founded in 2006 and distributed by Simon & Schuster, has a track record of publishing controversial works. Previous titles include Woody Allen's memoir Apropos of Nothing and US secretary of health and anti-vaccine activist Robert F Kennedy Jr's The Real Anthony Fauci. The publisher claims to be one of the fastest-growing independent book publishers in the US.
Other imprints under Skyhorse include Good Books, which focuses on cookbooks, country living titles, craft books, Amish and other Christian themes, justice, and peace-building, and War Room Books, which published Donald Trump's Time to Get Tough in 2024. Carlson's imprint is being launched in partnership with his media company, the Tucker Carlson Network, further solidifying his presence in the media landscape.
