Musicians, Movie Stars & Creative Biographies

Yet Being Someone Other is the most revealing book that Laurens van der Post wrote about his extraordinary and eventful life, and the most far-reaching. It is a distillation of the experiences that have moved him at the deepest level of the imagination and made him the exceptional person and writer he was.

Auden's dedication as a writer was matched only by his commitment to challenging the received views of political and personal life. This definitive biography goes beyond a study of the great poet to create a vibrant and masterful commentary on Auden's work, ideas and life within the context of the wars, ideologies, spiritual quests and sexual attitudes of the twentieth...

'If men could see us as we really are, they would be amazed', wrote Charlotte Bronte, the outwardly conventional parson's daughter who had rarely met any men beyond those of the church or classroom by the time Jane Eyre was published in 1847. From the landscape of the Yorkshire moors, an appalling childhood and a family decimated by consumption, Jane...

A writer of grace and wit, quietly dealing with people, like himself, who sense that their seemly, well-respected lives are being lived upon a precipice - Sunday Times With an introduction by Jay McInerney The Letters of John Cheever offer a tantalising glimpse into the life of a writer. They include correspondence with his contemporaries, such as Philip Roth, John...

A heartrending and beautiful memoir of sudden loss and a journey toward peace, from the bestselling, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of HorseMany cultural and religious traditions expect those who are grieving to step away from the world. In contemporary life, we are more often met with red tape and to-do lists. This is exactly what happened to Geraldine Brooks when her...

THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER 'Wise, funny and generous' - The Times 'Warm and perceptive' - New York Times 'So honest and funny and smart' - Observer 'Griffin Dunne knows how to tell a story' - Washington Post 'Dunne is a prospector for the incandescent detail' - Los Angeles Times 'Full of light, life and colour...a startling tale of...

People say to me, if you could do it all again, knowing what you know now, would you change anything? I'm like, f* no. If I'd been clean and sober, I wouldn't be Ozzy. If I'd done normal, sensible things, I wouldn't be Ozzy. Look, if it ends tomorrow, I can't complain. I've been all around the world. Seen a...

From actress Haley Lu Richardson—a raw, beautiful, and playful debut collection of poetry about the chaos of being a twenty-something girl in this world. i always wanted to be a pop star so i could catharize my woes, heartbreak and general experience of life in whatever vulnerable, valiant, or petty ways i wished unfortunately i’m tone deaf so instead, i...

Stories and yarns about my favourite bits of Down Under Paul Hogan's ancestors were a couple of Irish blow-ins who arrived in the colony of New South Wales by boat, with a little assistance from the judges of the Old Bailey. Blow-ins from everywhere have been coming ever since, and while it hasn't always been a walk in the park,...

Michael Korda, the best-selling author of Hero and Alone, tells the story of the First World War not in any conventional way but through the intertwined lives of the soldier poets who came to describe it best, and indeed to symbolise the war's tragic arc and lethal fury. His epic narrative begins with Rupert Brooke, "the handsomest young man in...

In a tale befitting the saga he created, Lucas Wars follows George Lucas's journey from aimless dreamer to filmmaking trailblazer and prodigy of the New Hollywood movement. While his fellow rising stars-directors like Francis Ford Coppola, Steven Spielberg, and Martin Scorsese-craft The Godfather, Jaws, and Taxi Driver, Lucas follows his childhood dreams and begins work on an epic fantasy ....

Ringo Starr’s eventful and remarkable life laid bare in a first-of-its-kind mosaic biography of one of the greatest musicians of all time. Often overshadowed by his former bandmates, Starr’s remarkable story is no less compelling. ‘Ringo: A Fab Life’ highlights a life so jaw-droppingly eventful that one is left wondering how he also had time to become one of the...

A 1000-PIECE PUZZLE inspired by the life and works of the Brontë family. The perfect challenge for book lovers or anyone who loves a good jigsaw. ALL YOUR FAVOURITE CHARACTERS can be found hidden in this detailed puzzle, as well as some real-life historical figures who played a part in their lives. INCLUDES A PULL-OUT POSTER identifying all the characters...

A story of becoming an artist, by the godmother of rock'n'roll: the National Book Award-winning author of Just Kids, Patti Smith 'A poet of distinction' New York Times 'Glorious' NPR 'Rare and ferocious' Salon 'Shockingly beautiful' New York Magazine Everything contained in this little book is true, and written just like it was. The writing of it drew me from...

A scintillating journey through the seventies and the extraordinary music it gave rise to - including the new concept of sound that defines music today. After the dense miasma of the sixties, the seventies hit like a hangover. Idealism took a pounding as cynicism began to pervade western culture. Stagflation became a thing. Watergate, environmental disasters, and an oil crisis...

Unmask Alice by Rick Emerson goes a long way to showing what investigative journalism could be in the right hands . . . this book is undeniably buzzworthy. -Portland Book Review An absorbing and unnerving read . . . this book demands to be finished in one sitting. -Booklist One of the must-read books of this century. -Gillian Flynn, #1...

How does one young man survive the deaths of his entire family and manage to make something worthwhile of his life? In Things The Grandchildren Should Know, Mark Oliver Everett tells the story of what it's like to grow up the insecure son of a genius in a wacky Virginia Ice Storm-like family. Left to run wild with his sister,...

'A biography as gripping as one of Lee Child's own bestsellers' – Ian Rankin 'Very enjoyable' – The Times 'Vivid and entertaining' – Telegraph Lee Child is the enigmatic powerhouse behind the phenomenally successful Jack Reacher novels. With devoted fans across the globe, and over a hundred million copies of his books sold in more than forty languages, he is...

So Me: SO good. SO funny. SO naughty. SO honest. The intimate and hilarious memoir of the country's favourite TV presenter comes to paperback. Graham Norton, whose impish charm and quick wit have earned him a place in our hearts, looks back at his life so far. In his own words, So Me is 'a real romp through a journey...

All Michael Parkinson really wanted to do was play cricket for Yorkshire and England. However, he soon realised that being paid to watch films, football, and cricket would be the best way to spend life, leading him to become a journalist. Television beckoned, and for three decades, Parkinson interviewed the movers and shakers of the late twentieth century, making his...

James Baldwin was one of the great writers of the last century. In works that have become part of the American canon—Go Tell It on a Mountain, Giovanni's Room, Another Country, The Fire Next Time, and The Evidence of Things Not Seen—he explored issues of race and racism in America, class distinction, and sexual difference. A gay, African American writer...

The prize-winning autobiography of the late, great Martin Amis. Now with an introduction from Zadie Smith. Before we face experience, that miserable enemy, let us have some more innocence, just for a while.... Introduced by Zadie Smith In this masterwork of literary memoir, Martin Amis tells the stories of his life, both the ordinary and the outlandish. From his bohemian...

The New York Times bestselling memoir from legendary rapper Gucci Mane spares no detail in this “cautionary tale that ends in triumph” (GQ). For the first time, Gucci Mane tells his extraordinary life story in his own words. It’s “as wild, unpredictable, and fascinating as the man himself” (Complex). The platinum-selling trap pioneer began writing this remarkable autobiography while serving...

Few filmmakers, if any, make the kind of impact that Martin Scorsese has made on American cinema. The winner of every prestigious film award, including the Oscar, Scorsese is a living legend. Bestselling author and award-winning filmmaker Mary Pat Kelly's groundbreaking biography reveals how this working-class boy from Manhattan's Little Italy became one of our most acclaimed, celebrated, and influential...

Grace Kelly: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon is a stunning illustrated biography of style and screen legend Grace Kelly, from internationally renowned fashion illustrator Megan Hess. Oscar-winning actress, muse to one of the greatest directors of all time, global fashion icon and European princess – Grace Kelly was a truly remarkable figure. In just six short years in...

A special enlarged edition of the international bestseller Coco Chanel: The Illustrated World of a Fashion Icon, celebrating 50 years since Coco's death, 100 years of Chanel No.5, and five years since the original release of this beautiful illustrated biography from globally renowned illustrator Megan Hess. Discover the story of Coco's amazing early life, the iconic fashion empire that she...

The rock legend tells the story of his wild ride with Martin Scorsese - as friends, adventure-seekers, and boundary-pushing collaborators - with all the heart of his New York Times bestselling memoir Testimony. For four decades, Robbie Robertson produced music for Martin Scorsese's films, a relationship that began when Robertson convinced Scorsese to direct The Last Waltz, the iconic film...

In this vivid account, Ana Debenedetti examines the life and work of Renaissance artist Sandro Botticelli, through the lens of the organisation of his workshop and the commercial strategies he devised to make his way in the very competitive art market in Florence at that time. She looks at the remarkable career of this pivotal artist and his production with...

Stephen "Steve-O" Glover—social media icon, comedy-touring stalwart, and star of Jackass—delivers a hilarious and practical guide to recovery, relationships, career, and how to keep thriving long after you should be dead. Steve-O is best known for his wildly dangerous, foolish, painful, embarrassing, and sometimes death-defying stunts. At age 48, however, he faces his greatest challenge yet: getting older. A Hard...

Devotion is short enough to devour at one enjoyable sitting and thought-provoking enough to deserve re-reading.” —Suzi Feay, Financial Times Devotion shows rather than tells what it means to give a life to writing.” —Katherine Cooper, Hyperallergic A work of creative brilliance may seem like magic—its source a mystery, its impact unexpectedly stirring. How does an artist accomplish such an...

The Ultimate Celebration of the Midwest Princess From hometown Missouri girl to the Midwest Princess and global FEMININOMENON we stan today, Chappell Roan is on an extraordinary journey. Dive into the stories, fun facts, and defining moments that shot this shining star into orbit. Packed with dazzling inspiration and empowering wisdom, this book is your guide to living boldly, flourishing...

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLERFor the first time, Charlie Sheen, the star of Platoon, Wall Street, Major League, and Two and a Half Men, writes the story of his extraordinary life in an unfiltered memoir.“We can live the stories or hear about them later from others. I choose the former.”Charlie Sheen should not be alive to write this book.But in The Book of Sheen, the movie and...

'Almost nothing in life is only what it seems.' Soldier, journalist, historian, author of forty books, Jan Morris led an extraordinary life, witnessing such seminal moments as the first ascent of Everest, the Suez Canal Crisis, the Eichmann Trial, The Cuban Revolution, and so much more. Now, in Allegorizings, published posthumously as was her wish, Morris looks back over some...

A stunning, full-colour special edition of the #1 bestselling memoir from the much-loved Australian legend, featuring never-before-seen photographs and a brand-new chapter. Growing up in London and Melbourne, music was always part of John Farnham's world. But the young John never dreamed of what was to come: pop stardom in the 1960s, the release of Whispering Jack - the critically...

In early 1955, Colonel Tom Parker, the manager of the number-one country music star of the day, heard that an unknown teenager from Memphis had just drawn a crowd of more than 800 people to a Texas schoolhouse and headed south to investigate. Within a matter of days, Parker was sending out telegrams and letters to promoters and booking agents:...

Water Mirror Echo is a remarkable story of a man, the traditions and communities that created him, and the new worlds he made possible. Like Bruce Lee himself, Jeff Chang is blessed with the vision to see things we do not yet see, thinking and writing with a restless, chasm-crossing, almost prophetic ambition. — Hua Hsu, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of...

Are you ready for it? This one-of-a-kind biography takes you on a visual exploration of Taylor Swift’s groundbreaking career, celebrating every album era, iconic outfit, and unforgettable moment. From singing “Tim McGraw” at the start of it all to her Midnights confessionals, this book is packed with Easter eggs that only her most loyal fans will uncover. Dive into masterfully...

"A devastating work, but proof that a novelist of Naipaul's stature can often define problems quicker and more effectively than a team of economists and other experts" - The Times In 1964, V. S. Naipaul published An Area of Darkness, his semi-autobiographical account of a year in India. Two visits later, prompted by the Emergency of 1975, he came to...

The icon and legend at last tells his story his way—without the boring bits. Paul Hogan first appeared on Australia's screens in 1971 as a 'tap-dancing knife thrower' on the TV talent show New Faces. The then father of four and Sydney Harbour Bridge rigger from Granville did it as a dare, but when the network's switchboard lit up, he...

The follow-up to The McCartney Legacy, Volume 1, the most complete work on the life and work of Paul McCartney ever published. Volume 2 continues to paint the portrait of one of the world’s greatest musicians, his work post-Beatles, and his life from 1974 to 1980. This second instalment of the groundbreaking multivolume set, The McCartney Legacy, Volume 2: 1974-80,...

I phenomenal memoir. I am in awe AMY LIPTROT WINNER OF THE GORDON BURN PRIZE 2025 Longlisted for the Women's Prize for Non Fiction 2025 Ootlin is proof that there is part of Fagan that is always whole, tapped into the cosmos, looking towards the light Times Literary Supplement A poetic work, impressionistically evoking harrowing and joyous experiences alike I...

'A wonderful blend of nostalgia, hilarity and personal anecdotes that only Josh Widdicombe could deliver' - James Acaster 'Brilliantly observed' - Romesh Ranganathan 'This is a book about growing up in the '90s told through the thing that mattered most to me, the television programmes I watched. For my generation television was the one thing that united everyone. There were...

The Sunday Times Number One Bestseller It’s time we get back to common sense. It’s time to cancel the cancel culture. It’s time to Wake Up. If, like me, you’re sick and tired of being told how to think, speak, eat and behave, then this book is for you. If, like me, you think the world’s going absolutely nuts, then...

‘I was saying things in songs that female singers didn’t really say back then. I wasn’t submissive or begging him to come back, I was kicking his ass, kicking him out, kicking my own ass too. My Blondie character was an inflatable doll but with a dark, provocative, aggressive side. I was playing it up, yet I was very serious.’...

INSTANT BESTSELLER! Funny, conversational, and relatable, Try Hard is for anyone looking to make sense of their own creative pursuit or bring more creativity into their life, offering a framework for how to do it and where to begin. Let's say you see a familiar musician from a globe-trotting, touring band hanging out at your local coffee shop, reading the...

INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * One of Esquire's Best Celebrity Memoirs of All Time An intimate, behind-the-scenes, richly illustrated celebration of beloved The Office co-stars Jenna Fischer and Angela Kinsey’s friendship, and an insiders' view of Pam Beesly, Angela Martin, and the iconic TV show. Featuring many of their never-before-seen photos. Receptionist Pam Beesly and accountant Angela Martin...

‘Fearsome wit’ Elle ‘Charming’ Buzzfeed ‘Ridiculously entertaining’ Associated Press ‘Endearingly honest’ Guardian A collection of humorous autobiographical essays by the Academy Award-nominated actress and star of Pitch Perfect, Twilight, Up in the Air, Into the Woods, and Trolls. Even before she made a name for herself on the silver screen, Anna Kendrick was unusually small, weird, defiant, and ‘10 per...

The real, untold, and unvarnished story of life inside the legendary Playboy Mansion—and the man who holds the key—from the woman who was Hef’s #1 girlfriend and star of The Girls Next Door. A spontaneous decision at age twenty-one transformed small-town Oregon girl Holly Sue Cullen into Holly Madison, Hugh Hefner’s #1 girlfriend. But like Alice in Wonderland after she...

HarperCollins is proud to present its incredible range of best-loved, essential classics. Three francs will feed you till tomorrow, and you cannot think further than that… As a young man struggling to find his voice as a writer, George Orwell left the comfort of home to live in the impoverished working districts of Paris and London. He would document both...

The all-new collection of comedic, autobiographical, and illustrated essays from the author and artist of the extraordinary #1 New York Times bestseller Hyperbole and a Half. THE NO.1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER For the first time in seven years, Allie Brosh, the creator of the immensely popular blog 'Hyperbole and a Half' and #1 New York Times bestselling author, returns...

A striking account of the letters and correspondence of Jane Austen, beautifully illustrated and back in publication. It has been said that Jane Austen the woman and Jane Austen the author are all of a piece, and nowhere is this more evident to the lovers of her novels than in the pages of her letters. This handsome celebration of these...

From twice Booker-shortlisted author Deborah Levy, a moving and revelatory collection exploring the muses that have shaped her life and work as a writer. In The Position of Spoons, Deborah Levy invites the reader into the interiors of her world, sharing her most intimate thoughts and experiences, as she traces and measures her life against the backdrop of the literary...

Bob Dylan: Mixing Up the Medicine offers an unprecedented glimpse into the creative life of one of America's most groundbreaking, influential, and enduring artists. "The Dylan Center in Tulsa offers a read as endlessly fascinating, as vital to the American story, as its subject himself... Whether you have inhaled this kind of information for decades, as I have, or you're...

In his first full-length autobiography, comedy legend and national treasure Billy Connolly reveals the truth behind his windswept and interesting life. Born in a tenement flat in Glasgow in 1942, orphaned by the age of 4, and a survivor of appalling abuse at the hands of his own family, Billy's life is a remarkable story of success against all the...

The Spider by Barry Levine explores the enigma that was Jeffrey Epstein. A Pulitzer Prize-nominated journalist reveals never-before-reported details in this comprehensive account of the disgraced financier’s life, death, and criminal web, including the role of Ghislaine Maxwell. An ID Book Club Selection and featured in the Peacock original documentary series Epstein's Shadow: Ghislaine Maxwell. By now, the basic contours...

'My own first memory is the cupboard door, and laughing, erupting with laughter' – a memoir about finding an identity, a voice and laughter. From the best-selling and acclaimed author Barbara Else, Laughing at the Dark is a funny, moving memoir about how she rebelled against being a 'good girl'. By the time she was in her forties, Barbara was...

Another year on the Diddly Squat Farm and Jeremy is still knee-deep in mud and endless challenges . . . Welcome back to Clarkson's Farm. Since taking the wheel three years ago, Jeremy's had his work cut out. And it's now clear from hard-won experience that, when it comes to farming, there's only one golden rule— Whatever you hope will...

A must-have for culture lovers, A Year with Wendy Whiteley sees the biographer and critic Ashleigh Wilson painting a portrait of the inimitable Wendy Whiteley—in her own words. We sit at the table, opposite each other, a tape recorder and a microphone between us, and I begin by saying that I don't want to start with Brett. 'That's a good...

MEET THE WORLD'S GREATEST ARTISTS - FACE TO FACE This stunning visual celebration of the world's most celebrated artists tells the fascinating stories of their lives and works. Lavishly illustrated with portraits of each artist, alongside photographs of their homes and studios, and personal artefacts, Artists Who Changed History offers a unique window into the personalities of each individual, and...

As a member of Big in Japan, The Slits and, most famously, Siouxsie and The Banshees and The Creatures, 'Budgie' became one of the era-defining drummers in the much-mythologised post punk scene of the late 1970s and early 1980s. Growing up in working-class St Helens in the 1960s, Peter Clarke lost his mum as a young boy and it's her...

How to End a Story, Helen Garner’s third volume of diaries, is an account of a woman fighting to hold on to a marriage that is disintegrating around her. Living with a powerfully ambitious writer who is consumed by his work, and trying to find a place for her own spirit to thrive, she rails against the confines. At the...

When the Going Was Good is Graydon Carter's lively recounting of how he made his mark as one of society's most talented editors and shapers of culture. Carter arrived in New York from Canada with little more than a suitcase, a failed literary magazine in his past and a keen sense of ambition. He landed a job at Time, went...

New to Penguin Modern Classics, a captivating exploration of the work of one of Italy's most influential - and least understood - painters. Throughout his masterpiece, In Search of Lost Time, Proust repeatedly refers to colours as Tiepolo Pink or Tiepolo Red. Who exactly was the artist that he so memorably transformed into colour? The eighteenth-century Venetian painter Giambattista Tiepolo...

Roland Barthes by Roland Barthes is the only autobiography by the great Roland Barthes, an esteemed philosopher, literary theorist, and semiotician. This autobiography showcases the mind of one of the greatest thinkers of the twentieth century. As unique as its author, Barthes adopts the dual role of commentator and subject, unveiling his tastes, habits, passions, and regrets. No event, relationship,...

An autobiographical collage of speeches, stories and essays from novelist Kurt Vonnegut. From the one-of-a-kind imagination that brought us Slaughterhouse 5 and Cat's Cradle. Kurt Vonnegut is either the funniest serious writer around or the most serious funny writer – Los Angeles Times Book Review In Palm Sunday, an autobiographical collage of speeches, stories and essays, Kurt Vonnegut writes beguilingly...

A literary memoir of what it means to have a truly special dog in your life. Published for International Dog Day, this will be a perfect gift for all dog lovers. Why do dogs speak so profoundly to our inner lives? When Mark Doty decides to adopt a dog as a companion for his dying partner, he finds himself bringing...

Jane Austen’s Notebook is a beautiful, insightful biography with a difference, offering readers a full and detailed account of Austen’s life and legacy in personal journal form. For today’s readers, finding the real Jane Austen can feel like an archaeological dig. While the famous writer’s characters are well known and much loved, we often want to know: who was the...

A portrait of one of the greatest artists of the nineteenth century, from one of the greatest writers of the twentieth. Rossetti, Evelyn Waugh's first book, is an intimate account of Dante Gabriel Rossetti's tragic and mysterious life—the story behind some of the greatest poetry and painting of the nineteenth century. Shot through with Waugh's charm and dry wit, and...

From the author of Cider With Rosie, this is a moving, lyrical portrait of the landscape of Laurie Lee's world. 'Living in our valley was like broad beans in a pod, so snug and enclosed and protective.' Laurie Lee walked out of his childhood village one summer morning to travel the world, but he was always drawn back to his...

Go beyond the music with the most comprehensive exploration of the life and career of international megastar Taylor Swift. The Taylor Book is the ultimate guide to a generation-defining pop sensation, packed with stunning images and all the context you need to fully immerse yourself in the Swiftiverse. From her humble beginnings as a teen country artist to her record-obliterating...

A very special book - a divine, meditative and inspiring diary of Derek Jarman's famous garden at Dungeness. Read this meditative and inspiring diary of Derek Jarman's famous garden at Dungeness, which is also a powerful account of his life as an HIV positive man in the 1980s. In 1986, Derek Jarman discovered he was HIV positive and decided to...

‘Stunning. Gobsmacking. Groundbreaking. What a gift to Austen fans the world over!’ - Natalie Jenner, author of The Jane Austen Society, Bloomsbury Girls & Every Time We Say Goodbye The Novel Life of Jane Austen is a beautifully illustrated graphic biography that brings to life the remarkable story of one of Britain's most beloved literary icons. Through vivid artwork and...

Studios of Their Own travels around the world examining the unique spaces, habits, and rituals of over 50 famous artists. From Picasso to Hockney to Caravaggio, discover the eclectic creative spaces used by artistic visionaries, brought to life with evocative illustrations. Crossing centuries, continents, and genres, Alex Johnson explores these artists' workspaces and habits. How do they practise their craft?...

A raucous, behind-the-scenes account of the year Blur got back together, told in hilarious and heartfelt stories by their ever-cheerful, epicurean bassist. There is nothing that can touch the sound made by a close-knit group of people who have been playing together for years and years and years, playing as though their lives depended on it. For many years, all...

For anyone who has dreamed of living in the country, here's the hilarious, heart-warming brutal reality. Rebecca Hayter was a high-profile yachting journalist based in Auckland when she followed a whim to buy a lifestyle block on the beach at Golden Bay at the top of the South Island – but she didn't know what she didn't know. Unexpectedly in...

The incredible true story of how a street-fighting petty criminal, who was kicked out of school at fourteen, became one of Australia's most celebrated and successful portrait artists. Raised amid poverty and violence on the poor streets of Melbourne, Vincent Fantauzzo was just a boy when he accepted he would either die very young, become a gangster, or end up...

The brilliant autobiography from the ‘saviour of Nike’ If you’re a sneaker head, you know him as the saviour of Nike. If you’ve watched Air, you saw Matt Damon’s portrayal of the man who discovered Michael Jordan and how he revolutionised the payment structure of endorsements for athletes. Legends and Soles tells Sonny’s story – his blind-sided firing by Nike...