Margaret Atwood, Anthony Hopkins, Jacinda Ardern and Nicola Sturgeon are among the notable figures whose memoirs and biographies feature in a roundup of the best life-writing of 2025. Atwood's Book of Lives: A Memoir of Sorts, a 624-page doorstopper, chronicles her life and work with wisdom and wit, despite her initial reluctance to write about herself. Helen Garner's How to End a Story, winner of the Baillie Gifford prize, offers piquant diary entries spanning 20 years.
Mothers take centre stage in Arundhati Roy's Mother Mary Comes to Me and Jung Chang's Fly, Wild Swans. Roy explores 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's Matriarch reveals the reality of raising superstars Beyoncé and Solange, tracing her family's history from slavery to stage motherhood.
In celebrity memoirs, Anthony Hopkins's We Did OK, Kid offers an unvarnished account of his struggles with anxiety and addiction, while Tim Curry's Vagabond is a sweary, scathing look at his acting peers. Kathy Burke's A Mind of My Own begins in a council flat with an alcoholic father but brims with humour and defiance. Patti Smith's Bread of Angels details her tough childhood and return to work after personal losses.
Lionel Richie's Truly traces his path from Alabama to stardom, punctuated by cameos from Nelson Mandela and others. Cameron Crowe's The Uncool recalls his days as a teenage music journalist with charm. Political memoirs include Nicola Sturgeon's Frankly and Jacinda Ardern's forthcoming work, rounding out a diverse and compelling list.
