Amy Winehouse’s new book to publish this year: Biography expert comments on the rise of posthumously written memoirs

Amy Winehouse’s new book to publish this year: Biography expert comments on the rise of posthumously written memoirs

Over HALF of the nation wish they told their younger self to document their life story as they feel much of it has been forgotten

• 17% say that they have picked up journaling over the course of the past two years to help with their mental health
• 31% say writing about their mental health experiences in a creative way has allowed them to better understand themselves
• 51% wish they could tell their younger self to document their family’s life story, as they feel most of it has been forgotten 

In August of 2023, a memoir dedicated to the late British musician, Amy Winehouse titled: In Her Words, will be published worldwide. Through a collection of her yet unseen journal entries, handwritten lyrics from unpublished songs and personal photos, fans of Winehouse will learn about her story through a lens that is different to the one we so often see in the media. This comes as the past year has borne witness to an uptick in posthumously written memoirs from the likes of Alan Rickman, Steve Jobs and Prince. Collected from vignettes of their private lives, the memoir serves as a valuable medium through which people can tell their story, even after they are no longer around to tell it. Rutger Bruining, biography expert and CEO/founder of StoryTerrace, the nation’s leading biography-writing service, highlights the importance of taking time to document your experiences, feelings and life events as they one day might be crucial to future generations keen to learn about their history. 

A key pattern evident in the recent retrospective memoirs is how each of them is based on journal entries and anecdotes from families and friends of the individual. The late singer’s family stated that the upcoming memoir is based on a collection of Amy’s notes and musings showing the public a different side to one that was captured by the media. New research from StoryTerrace highlights how journaling has become an increasingly valued and relied-on method to mark the beginnings of someone’s life story as just under one in five (17%) say that they have picked up journaling over the course of the past two years and of those, 31% admit to its benefits in developing one’s understanding of themselves. Providing a means to not only reflect but also to preserve, the memoir-writing service found that a staggering 56% of the nation admit that a lot of their family history is lost because they no longer are able to speak with the person who knows the most about it.

Key stats:

• 31% feel more comfortable writing about their troubling experiences than talking about them
• 22% feel that journaling has been the most beneficial aid to their mental health to date

Rutger Bruining, CEO/founder of StoryTerrace, comments on the importance in documenting your experiences to help preserve your legacy: 

“There is so much value in preserving your life story. Particularly someone of such high-profile, like Amy Winehouse, whose narrative was constantly at the mercy of fans, the media and even people she was closest to. Though documentaries and series offer insight to someone’s life from a creative and more stylised perspective, the memoir offers a side that is intimate, personal and reveals so much more about someone’s true character than what we can garner from the screens. 

“The news of Amy Winehouse’s death shook the nation for so many reasons. I think what drew so many to her was the fact that she was relatable on a level that some celebrities are not. When we look to stories, we often are pulled towards the accounts that are relatable and give meaning to our personal lives. I think this book will boom in sales from the moment it goes on pre-sale for this very reason.

“There is power in writing, I believe it is the purest form of self-exploration and creativity. For us at StoryTerrace, it is not just about documenting one’s story, it is about cementing your identity by connecting you with your past. Hundreds of the memoirs that we see at StoryTerrace start from an individual’s journal – we see it all the time. They represent a capsule of one’s thoughts and feelings at a certain point and allow reflection on that experience for years to come. People cherish their journals and keep them as keepsakes, and that is what is so beautiful about StoryTerrace.”

About StoryTerrace
StoryTerrace’s mission is to ensure that every life story is captured and passed on in a meaningful way. Its award-winning memoir writing service takes care of the whole process – matching clients with one of over 750 professional writers, interviewing, photo gathering, editing, designing, and printing their very own book. Books are on average 100 pages long, meaning that everyone can have their life story – or those of their loved ones – documented in a professionally curated biography or series of memoirs. 

Powered by its proprietary technology platform, StoryTerrace continues to scale globally and has sold over 3,500 packages since its founding in 2014. The company was a winner on BBC Dragons’ Den in 2020 and has gained traction in the likes of Sky News, The Wall Street Journal, The Times, Forbes, and CBS News.