Upcoming non-fiction that may have an impact this year

From Liza Minnelli’s anticipated first release to insights into artistry and troubled upbringings, these are the non-fiction releases worth keeping an eye on, writes Marjorie Brennan

Liza Minnelli’s first memoir is sure to reveal an insight into glitz, glamour, fame, and heartbreak. Picture: Neilson Barnard/ Getty

March

Kids, Wait Till You Hear This! by Liza Minnelli, with Michael Feinstein (Coronet)

It’s hard to believe that this is the iconic performer’s first memoir, and what a story she has to tell as the ultimate Hollywood survivor. 

As she turns 80, she looks back on her extraordinary career from being born into entertainment royalty, to becoming one of the select few performers to have won an Egot (Emmy, Grammy, Oscar, and Tony). 

Behind the glitz and glamour were personal struggles, drug abuse, and heartbreak — all endured in the glaring spotlight of fame.

Enough Said by Alan Bennett (Faber)

Another enduring talent returns with his fourth collection of diaries and prose, giving his inimitable and mordantly humorous take on events between 2016 and 2024. As the writer approaches his 92nd birthday, his work is as poignant, witty, sharp, and necessary as ever.

April

My Year in Paris with Gertrude Stein by Deborah Levy (Hamish Hamilton)

After success as a playwright and novelist, Levy went on to conquer the medium of memoir with her award-winning ‘living autobiography’ series, acutely capturing the discombobulation of divorce and navigating a new life in middle age. 

In her latest book, the narrator is at liberty in the French capital, comparing life as it is now with all its anxiety and uncertainty and how it was in the early days of the 20th century, through the eyes of the avant garde American writer.

Dirty Dancing: The Inside Story of the Irish Dancing Cheating Scandal by Ellen Coyne (Gill)

Anyone who was ever forced to take Irish dancing lessons or sit through a feis will enjoy this look at the dark side of one our greatest cultural exports. 

After receiving a tip-off from a whistleblower, Coyne finds herself delving into the cutthroat world of competitive Irish dancing and discovers what some of its exponents were prepared to do to come out on top. I’m certainly looking forward to the Netflix documentary already.

Home Economics by Catríona Lally (New Island)

Lally studied English literature at Trinity College and was a recipient of the university’s prestigious Rooney Prize for Irish Literature in 2018 — the fact that she also happened to be working as a cleaner in the college provoked much comment at the time.

This memoir is sure to bring a distinctive and welcome perspective on balancing a creative life with the practical demands of earning a living and bringing up a family.

London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe (Pan Macmillan)

Radden Keefe expands on what was originally a New Yorker article with the story behind the mysterious death of a London teenager who was leading a double life posing as the son of a Russian oligarch. 

Another gripping and forensically reported book from the author of Say Nothing and the peerless Empire of Pain.

Katriona O’Sullivan captivated readers with her debut memoire ‘Poor’ and looks to build upon it by exploring her struggle with self-worth and image

Hungry: A Biography of My Body by Katriona O’Sullivan (Wildfire)

The author’s debut memoir Poor struck a chord with readers who were transfixed by O’Sullivan’s powerful story of her journey from a childhood of poverty scarred by addiction and abuse, to a career as a psychology professor. 

In this book, she explores her struggles with self-worth and image, and how trauma, class, and gender affect women’s lives.

May

Ghost Stories by Siri Hustvedt (Sceptre)

The novelist reflects on her life with her husband and celebrated author of The New York Trilogy, Paul Auster, who died in 2024. 

The book includes journal entries, emails, notes, and love letters as well as Auster’s last piece of writing, intended for their grandson. 

Described as “a patchwork-quilt memoir”, it is also a chronicle of personal losses and tragedy including the deaths of Auster’s son and the couple’s infant granddaughter.

June

Tonight the Music Seems So Loud: The Meaning of George Michael by Sathnam Sangera (Pan Macmillan)

It is a sad fact of life that we don’t appreciate what we’ve got until it’s gone, and since the singer George Michael died on Christmas Day, 2016, the sense of his importance as a creative genius, cultural icon, and all-round decent human being has only grown. 

In this book, The Times journalist looks at the many elements of the musician’s extraordinary life, as the child of immigrants and a gay man who was cruelly hounded by the tabloid press.

July

Opening Night by Sara Baume (Granta)

The author taps into her other role as an artist in this book about her friendship with American and fellow artist and West Cork dweller Mollie Douthit, who she connected with after seeing some of her work at a pop-up exhibition in a shed early in lockdown. 

The pair discover they have much in common but as Baume’s life becomes more settled, Douthit hits some turbulence, leading the author to ponder ideas of community, love, pain, and the power of art.

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