The author of the controversial biography about Cabinet Office Minister Mo Mowlam had her computer and briefcase stolen while she was covering the Labour Party conference in Brighton.
Julia Langdon, who also writes for The Guardian and the Mail on Sunday, had her laptop and her personal organiser stolen from the Old Ship Hotel on Thursday at about midday.
She is desperate to get the computer back as it has all her past and future work on it, including the book, Mo Mowlam, which was published on Thursday.
The book caused a storm when it was serialised recently, describing how Dr Mowlam had told US President Bill Clinton she was "the tea lady" during Northern Ireland peace talks.
Ms Langdon said last night: "It is the intellectual property, rather than the actual value, I am worried about.
"All I want back is the hard drive as it has all my current work on it, including the new book."
She is at the Conservative Party conference next week.
If you know where the computer is, or can help her track it down, call her on 020 8995 2234 or Sussex Police on 0845 6070 999.
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