4th Estate snaps up Camille Charriere’s debut memoir in 24-hour pre-empt

4th Estate has acquired a memoir in essays from Camille Charrière in a 24-hour pre-empt.

Editorial director Katie Bowden secured UK and Commonwealth rights for Ashamed including e-book and audiobook rights from Abigail Bergstrom at Bergstrom Studio. 

Ashamed is described as “a painfully relatable, deeply honest and sharply funny memoir in essays from one of the most influential fashion voices in the world".

The publisher goes on: “From female friendship and the perils of dating to social-media addiction, mental health and fertility, Camille explores the many facets of contemporary womanhood in the digital age.”

Charrière is a contributing editor for ELLE and has written for Harper’s Bazaar, Vogue UK, Sunday Times Style, Evening Standard, Grazia and Les Echos.

Bowden said: “Charrière’s passionately shared viral Vogue essay on fertility and IVF was one of the most moving and honest accounts of the heartbreak often experienced when trying to conceive that I have ever read. In this brilliant, heartfelt collection of essays, Camille writes about topics such as friendship, love, neurodivergence, beauty standards and the experience of coming of age in a very online world with all her trademark candour and wit. We are very proud to be publishing her at 4th Estate.”

Charrière said: “I’m a chronic over-sharer which comes as a surprise to no one, yet I’ve also used social media as a decoy to shield myself from the world’s gaze. The internet provided a safe place for me to forge my identity and build my career, while concealing the parts I knew were less palatable. For this very personal project, I felt the need to slow down, dig deep and really question this desire to share without pandering to the attention economy.

“The idea of a memoir started off as a tiny seed that grew inside me for years before I found the courage to pursue writing. I feel so grateful to have met Abi who believed in my ability as a storyteller from the very first time I shared my words online and who was able to steer me into the care of Katie at 4th Estate. I could not have hoped for a more compassionate publishing team to guide me through this emotional rollercoaster while pushing me out of my comfort zone to arrive at the heart of it all.”

Bergstrom added: “Shame drives us to extraordinary places and this book brings something honest and raw to the table, showing what can happen when we bring shame out into the light. Camille finds depth, intimacy and connection through her words. Her 1.4 million Instagram followers may have come for the clothes, but they stay for her stories, and their most-frequently-asked question is: ’When are you writing a book?’"

Publication is scheduled for February 2026.