The celebrity memoir boom
As we settle into autumn, there’s one book genre you’re likely to find many people reading - and that’s the celebrity memoir. It only takes a quick scan of X or any daily broadsheet to see that the celebrity memoir is clearly in full swing. In October alone, Julia Fox, Jada-Pinkett Smith and Britney Spears all released their memoirs, while Barbra Streisand is tipped to release her memoir My Name is Barbra on November 7. And the memoir era doesn’t stop there: Serena Williams plans to develop her memoir in a two-book deal with Penguin Random House while Paris Hilton’s memoir is set to be adapted into a television series, showing that the reach of the celebrity memoir is expanding beyond timeline fodder and bestseller lists.
With gossip and tabloid culture filling the pages of every magazine and online blog in the late 90s and 2000s, celebrities like Spears and Hilton are now reflecting on their past but also reframing harmful narratives that thrived during that time - something which is increasingly important to Gen Z and is seen through the popularity of video essays to their desire for authenticity. 73% of Gen Z buy or advocate for brands based on their beliefs and values. Brands can see a desire for transparency among fans and how this is manifesting in the memoir boom - after all, Prince Harry’s Spare sold more than 1.43 million copies in all formats in the UK, US and Canada, highlighting how invested people were in hearing his truth. Beyond authenticity hype, brands can learn that the current interest in nostalgia isn’t just rooted in revisiting the past but also critically reflecting on it - and celebrities are cashing in on it one book at a time.
