Shake, rattle and write: why the music memoir is booming

From Bono to Jarvis Cocker, Bruce Springsteen to Cosey Fanni Tutti, the last decade has seen an explosion of books by artists from every walk of musical life. Why is this once-rare genre striking a chord with stars and readers alike?By her own admission, Miki Berenyi was not a woman itching to write a memoir. Even if she had been, she says, why would anyone have been interested? Her band, Lush, were “never that big”. They enjoyed cult alt-rock success in the early 90s, scored three Top 30 singles in the Britpop era, and broke up in 1996. They briefly reformed in 2015, but broke up again after less than a year, keen “to return to our families and homes”. When a publisher approached her with the idea of an autobiography, she says, “I literally laughed in his fucking face – I was like: ‘Why would I want to do that? That sounds ridiculous.’”But then Berenyi lost her job as a subeditor when the magazine she worked for folded. “Lockdown was looming, and I thought, ‘Oh shit, actually this isn’t a great time to be looking for a job’, so I kind of … It was a bit more pragmatic than a burning ambition.” Continue reading... Continue reading at 'The Guardian'

[ The Guardian | 2023-07-15 08:00:25 UTC ]
News tagged with: #musical life #readers alike #great time #memoir

Other Publishing stories related to: 'Shake, rattle and write: why the music memoir is booming'


Paul Newman’s memoir—which he started writing in the 80s—will finally be released next fall.

If you’re like me and have a deep appreciation and love of classic Hollywood, then you’ll be delighted to hear that Knopf plans to publish Paul Newman’s memoir in the fall of 2022. The actor, who died in 2008 at the age of 83, began working on his memoir in the 1980s; according to the […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-11-03 14:46:35 UTC ]
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Prince Harry to Write a Memoir

Penguin Random House said the book, tentatively coming in 2022, would be “an intimate and heartfelt memoir from one of the most fascinating and influential global figures of our time.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2021-07-19 20:26:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #heartfelt memoir #prince harry #memoir #penguin random house


Prince Harry agrees publishing deal to write his memoirs

Penguin Random House announces book is expected in late 2022 with proceeds going to charityThe Duke of Sussex has agreed a publishing deal to write his memoirs and said he would do so “not as the prince I was born, but as the man I have become”.The global deal for his “literary memoir” was... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-07-19 18:37:55 UTC ]
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Why Writing a Memoir is Like Making Kimchi

In Crying in H Mart, Michelle Zauner—also known as the indie-pop musician Japanese Breakfast—writes of her mother’s battle with terminal cancer and the caretaking process. The mother-daughter relationship is the beating pulse of this memoir, presented in all of its uncomfortable complexities.... Continue reading at Electric Literature

[ Electric Literature | 2021-04-22 11:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #terminal cancer #electric literature #memoir


Sheridan Smith writes first memoir for Ebury Spotlight

Sheridan Smith has written her first memoir, Honestly, to be published by Ebury Spotlight this autumn. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-04-20 02:37:35 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #ebury spotlight #memoir


Booker winner Bernardine Evaristo writing memoir about 'never giving up'

Manifesto will chart the first Black Booker prize winner’s 40-year journey to literary centre-stage and encourage others to pursue creative fulfilmentBernardine Evaristo, the first Black woman to win the Booker prize, is writing a memoir about how she “moved from the margins to centre stage”... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2021-03-27 09:00:08 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #black woman #booker prize #centre stage #award-winning author #creative rebellion #life-long commitment #imaginative exploration #non-fiction title #memoir


I was always drawn to Mariah Carey’s music. After reading her memoir, I understand why.

“The Meaning of Mariah Carey” gets to the essence of one of the most successful singers of our time. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2020-10-02 14:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #mariah carey


The Case for Writing a Memoir in Essays

When Sonja Livingston began to write about her life with an itinerant mother and six siblings in the raw corners of western New York, she wrote, she says, in snatches. “I wrote of living in apartments and tents and motel rooms. Of places where corn and cabbage grew in great swaths. Of the... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-10-02 08:48:29 UTC ]
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Absolute snack Stanley Tucci is writing a memoir about his life as a foodie.

There are very few celebrities whose meals interest me. (Yes, I do hate Instagram, thank you.) But here’s one: Stanley Tucci, who announced today that he’s working on a memoir called Taste: My Life Through Food. Publisher Gallery Books described it as “intimate and charming reflection of Tucci’s... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-09-17 18:45:33 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #stanley tucci #announced today #memoir


Cape wins music icon Neneh Cherry’s 'powerful' memoir in 14-way auction

Jonathan Cape has acquired Swedish musician Neneh Cherry’s memoir, A Thousand Threads, in a 14-way auction. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2020-09-16 11:56:22 UTC ]
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How Do You Write a Memoir of the Unknown?

Write what you know, they say. This is what I know. On November 19, 2013, my younger sister, Sarah, died of a drug overdose in the bathroom of her boyfriend’s home. She was 24 years old and an opiate addict. Her body wasn’t found for four days. Her dog was locked inside the house with […] Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-07-10 08:47:22 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #younger sister #drug overdose #memoir


Personal Space: Stephanie Danler Never Thought She Would Write This Memoir

On this episode of Personal Space: The Memoir Show, Sari Botton interviews Stephanie Danler, author of the 2016 bestselling novel Sweetbitter, and now the memoir Stray, just published by Knopf. In the book, Danler poignantly tackles a variety of issues, including: the destructive nature of... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2020-05-21 17:00:57 UTC ]
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Writing a Family Memoir When Your Grandfather was Stalin’s Bodyguard

“Young Heroes of the Soviet Union,” by Alex Halberstadt, is a moving and often funny memoir about the author’s family and their history. Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2020-03-11 16:29:22 UTC ]
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Eliud Kipchoge is writing a memoir(!) and other notable book deals of the week.

My personal form of astrology is to anxiously trawl Publishers Marketplace every week. No, wait, hear me out: it’s how I can tell the only future that matters: which books I will be reading a year and a half from now. Also, it’s a nice reminder that publishing isn’t dead. After all, there are so... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-18 13:31:21 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nice reminder #notable book


Nnedi Okorafor on Writing and Narrating the Audiobook of Her Memoir

Author Nnedi Okorafor is known for her award-winning Afrofuturist works, stories rooted in African culture and perspective that explore beyond the realm of what is currently possible. Okorafor’s writing examines the intersection of technology, the natural world, and magic, building a world in... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-10-17 08:47:48 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #nnedi okorafor #natural world #audiobook


Tiger Woods to write memoir telling his 'definitive story'

Publisher HarperCollins says Back is first and only account ‘directly from’ US golferFresh from a startling career comeback after years of battling injuries, sex addiction and tabloids, Tiger Woods has announced a new memoir titled Back in which he promises to tell his “definitive story”.The... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-10-15 15:31:34 UTC ]
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How to Write a Compelling Memoir (and Stay Sane in the Process)

In this post, Tanja Panjevic shares how to write a compelling memoir and stay sane in the process. In this post, she describes nine tips, including clarifying your scope, how to correct course as you go, and more. The post How to Write a Compelling Memoir (and Stay Sane in the Process) by Tanja... Continue reading at Writer's Digest

[ Writer's Digest | 2019-10-09 22:34:20 UTC ]
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File under gross, predictable: Sarah Huckabee Sanders is writing a memoir.

Former White House Press Secretary and noted baby cage enthusiast Sarah Huckabee Sanders is writing a novel  memoir that will likely be full of lies. It will be published by St. Martin’s Press in fall 2020. The book will detail her time as Trump’s press secretary, “including the most dramatic... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-09-05 14:44:57 UTC ]
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Juliet Escoria on Writing a Memoir With No Redemptive Lesson at the End

Juliet Escoria is the guest. Her debut novel, Juliet the Maniac, is available from Melville House. It was the official May pick of The Nervous Breakdown Book Club. This is Juliet’s second time on the program. She first appeared in Episode 273 on April 30, 2014. She also wrote the short story... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2019-08-14 08:47:08 UTC ]
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Quiller signs memoir of Pink Floyd and Wham! music mogul Morrison

Quiller has signed the recently-discovered memoir of music impresario Bryan Morrison, the man who represented Pink Floyd, T Rex, The Jam and Wham!. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-05-08 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #pink floyd