From Anthony Hopkins and Kathy Burke on acting to Jacinda Ardern and Nicola Sturgeon on politics, plus Margaret Atwood on a life well lived, 2025 offers a rich crop of memoirs and biographies. Atwood's 'Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts' is a 624-page chronicle of her life and work, showcasing her wisdom and wit. Helen Garner's 'How to End a Story', winner of the Baillie Gifford Prize, collects diaries spanning 20 years, offering piquant snapshots of her life and marriages.
Arundhati Roy's 'Mother Mary Comes to Me' and Jung Chang's 'Fly, Wild Swans' both focus on formidable mothers. Roy reveals her mother's contradictions with candour, while Chang's sequel to 'Wild Swans' reflects on how her mother made the original book possible. Tina Knowles' 'Matriarch' details raising Beyoncé and Solange, fostering pride in their blackness and womanhood.
Anthony Hopkins' 'We Did OK, Kid' is a thoughtful account of his career and struggles with anxiety and addiction. Tim Curry's 'Vagabond' is a sweary memoir, scathing about some acting peers. Kathy Burke's 'A Mind of My Own' begins in an Islington council flat with an alcoholic father, but avoids self-pity, recounting her rise from working-class roots.
Patti Smith's 'Bread of Angels' details her tough childhood and return to music after personal losses. Lionel Richie's 'Truly' traces his path from Alabama to the Commodores and solo stardom, with cameos from Gregory Peck and Nelson Mandela. Cameron Crowe's 'The Uncool' looks back on his days as a teenage music journalist, full of charm and lyricism.
Nicola Sturgeon's 'Frankly' and Jacinda Ardern's memoir (title TBC) offer political insights. Other notable titles include Margaret Atwood's 'Book of Lives', Helen Garner's 'How to End a Story', and Anthony Hopkins' 'We Did OK, Kid'. These autobiographies provide diverse perspectives on life, art, and politics.
