Books to look for in 2026 – Nonfiction | books

Over the past year, we’ve been spoiled with memoirs from high-powered stars including Cher, Patti Smith and Anthony Hopkins. But 2026 begins with a very different true story, from a woman who never chose the limelight, but now wants some good from her horrific experiences. After a trial that resulted in the conviction of her husband and 50 others for rape or sexual assault, Giselle Bellicot aims to foster “strength and courage” in other survivors. in Hymn to life (Bodley Head, February) “Shame has to change,” she insists. Another trial – of the men accused of carrying out the Bataclan massacre – is the subject of Emmanuel Carrier’s latest book, V13. For his next trip, Kolkhoz (Verne, September), master of French autofiction Turning his tough lens back on himself, he focuses on his relationship with his mother, Hélène, and uses it to weave a complex personal history of France, Russia, and Ukraine. Family also comes under the microscope Ghost stories (Scepter, May) by Siri Hustvedt, is a memoir of her final years with her husband, Paul Auster, who died of cancer in 2024.

Hollywood isn’t completely out of the picture: THe steps (Seven Dials, May), the first Sylvester Stallone biography, follows the star from homelessness in early 1970s New York to Rocky’s triumph at the Oscars later that decade. Does realizing your creative dreams come at a cost? Lena Dunham suggests the same thing Longing for fame (The Fourth Estate, April), has been described as a frank memoir of how her dramatic early success gave way to debilitating chronic illness. Candor of a different kind is promised more (Bloomsbury, September), actress Gillian Anderson’s follow-up to her 2024 bestselling anthology of female sexual fantasies, Want.

Alan Bennett’s diary is probably somewhat less active – although it is just as carefully monitored He said enough (Faber, March) Spanning the period from 2016 to 2024, it covers momentous events such as Brexit and the death of the Queen, as well as the epidemic of the hills in Bennett’s Park. After giving up his mantle as host of In Our Time, Bennett’s closest contemporary, Melvin Bragg, returns to… Another world (September, February), that is, the three years he spent at Oxford in the late 1950s. The author of The Curious Incident, Mark Haddon, also looks back, this time to the 1960s and 1970s, in his strangely graphic coming-of-age memoir, Leaving home (Chateau and Windus, February). The latest collection of essays by David Sedaris The land and its peoplee (Abacus, July) Includes letters from his country life in Sussex such as: ‘I know you can’t hold animals to humane standards…and yet rams are assholes.’

We will have to see if similar violent outbursts are detailed in a new major biography of Gordon Brown (Bloomsbury, February), where author James MacIntyre was given “unique” access to the former prime minister’s personal archives. For his part, Home Secretary and former Chancellor Sajid Javid will avoid blaming recent governments, focusing instead on his childhood in… House color (Abacus, February). After leaving government in September, Angela Rayner decided to write her memoirs – until now Untitled (Bodley Head) – Reflecting on her difficult upbringing and path into politics, it is scheduled to be released in the second half of the year.

Beyond writing about life, North American bigwigs deal with big ideas: in A scientist appears (Allen Lane, February) By Michael Pollan, author of How to Change Your Mind, tackles the little question of consciousness—what is it and how can you measure it? with The beginning comes after the end (Granta, March) Rebecca Solnit reminds us how revolutionary the past sixty years have been in terms of social change. It views the current shift toward authoritarianism as a setback, not a defeat. Doppelganger author Naomi Klein collaborates with documentary filmmaker Astra Taylor to describe the film The end of fascism (Allen Lane, September), A “man-made Armageddon complex” built by religious fundamentalists, tech barons and nationalists that threatens democracy. Jared Diamond, the historian best known for Guns, Germs and Steel, returns with his first book in six years. Profits, prophets, coaches and kings (Allen Lane, September), on the influence of charismatic individuals in politics, business, sports, and religion. Patrick Radden Cave, whose pain empire exposes the billionaire lineage behind the opioid epidemic, investigates the mysterious death of a young man in… Fall of London (Picador, April).

After the extraordinary success of “Teenage,” the Netflix show that showed the aftermath of a misogynistic murder, teen masculinity remains front and center. One of its stars, Stephen Graham, collaborated with psychologist Orly Klein to compile it Messages to our children (Bloomsbury, October), a collection of fathers’ thoughts on ‘what it means to be a man’, including one from the actor himself. And in Castle (Viking, August), Jon Ronson embarks on a journey to discover exactly why his son Joel attended a mysterious event at a millionaire’s New England mansion, and in the process uncovers “a world of runaway men in a desperate search for purpose.”

I was going to say that Liza Minnelli’s memoir might provide some light comfort, but the cabaret star’s life contains at least as much tragedy and pain as it does lights and sequins. However, you will be able to read about both at Kids, wait until you hear this!“,” as told to friend and singer Michael Feinstein — though if you’re expecting a neutral, thoughtful account, you may have to wait a little longer: the focus is on “dispelling tabloid myths and setting the record straight.” The understated but no less interesting music superstar, David Byrne, brings us his first proper book since 2012’s How Music Works, Sleeping beauties (Canongate, October). The title refers to works of art or inventions that were ignored at the time but have resurfaced after years of dormancy – from Bruegel to antiseptics. Finally, in Tonight the music seems very loud (Picador, June) Journalist Satnam Sanghera takes a break from Empire to explore why enigmatic pop genius George Michael became such an influential cultural figure, 10 years after his death at the age of 53.