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The Borough Press acquires Blake Morrison’s An A-Z of Life Writing
The Borough Press has acquired On Memoir: An A-Z of Life Writing by “master of the genre” Blake Morrison.
Ann Bissell, publishing director, bought UK and Commonwealth rights excluding Canada from Sarah Ballard at C&W, with publication scheduled for 9th April 2026.
The book is described as “for those who practice the art of memoir, and those who read it: a gloriously freewheeling exploration of narrative non-fiction, its challenges, ethics and charms, and its power to move and change us”.
“Gleaned from a lifetime as a passionate reader of others’ lives, as well as an unflinchingly honest chronicler of his own, Morrison’s A-Z is a trove of thoughtful literary exploration, amusing observations and fascinating finds,” the publisher says.
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Morrison’s books include And When Did You Last See Your Father? (Granta) and Two Sisters (The Borough Press). He said: “After 20-odd years of writing memoir and helping students to write memoir, I decided it was time to set down a few thoughts. The book is less an instruction manual than an attempt to answer questions on topics that have bugged me over the years – about consent, ethics, censorship, confession, family history, inspiration and so on. The problem, once I started, was knowing when to stop – I have topics for every letter of the alphabet, even Z. Writing the book and working with Ann at Borough Press has been great fun."
Bissell said: “Working with Blake is a joy, as is reading On Memoir, which covers an enormous wealth of topics and shines a light on a host of writers and their work. Through its pages, Blake shares his lifetime of experience and knowledge with generosity and a light touch. His signature wit and warmth are present on every page – it’s truly a gift of a book.”
Ballard said: “There are few writers who bring as much candour and clarity to their observation as Blake Morrison, and to read On Memoir is to inhale a lifetime of deep thought and curiosity. This is a blissful book.”
