Blink signs Big Issue's 'Letter to My Younger Self' collection

Bonnier imprint Blink will publish a collection of pieces from the Big Issue’s ‘Letter to My Younger Self’ feature in October, featuring the likes of Margaret Atwood and Arianna Huffington, with all royalties going towards the magazine’s charitable work.

Oliver Holden-Rea, senior editor at Bonnier Books UK, has acquired world all languages rights directly from the magazine.

Letter to My Younger Self: Inspiring People on the Lessons They’ve Learned, the Mistakes They’ve Made and the Relationships That Changed Their Lives is a collection of 100 “incredible” letters from the feature, which has been running for 12 years. It will be compiled and edited by the Big Issue's books editor Jane Graham.

The collection will be published on 31st October 2019, with all royalties from sales of the book going to the organisation's work dismantling poverty and creating social and financial opportunity for people in the UK.

Graham said: “I did the first 'Letter to my Younger Self' interview 12 years ago and I quickly realised we had found a key which unlocked even the most guarded of the world’s most high profile and successful people. I’m delighted that some of the best interviews are now to be collected in a book; it feels absolutely right and fitting.”

The book features “some of the most brilliant and successful people from the worlds of entertainment, politics, food, sport and business, including Paul McCartney writing on how he found inspiration, Olivia Colman on overcoming confidence problems, Mo Farah on the importance of losing, Arianna Huffington on knowing your motivations and Jamie Oliver on trusting your instinct”, according to the synopsis. Other contributors include Atwood, Tracey Emin, Michael Palin and Brian Cox.

All royalties from sales of the book go to the Big Issue to continue their work dismantling poverty and creating social and financial opportunity for thousands of people across the UK.

Holden-Rea said: “I’m so incredibly proud to be publishing this book with the great people at the Big Issue. ‘Letter to My Younger Self’ is a consistently heartfelt and profound feature, with so much insight into ageing, success, failure, courage and the importance of friends and family. I hope that, as well as being able to help support the Big Issue, those who get the book will also enjoy reading it.”

Paul McNamee, the magazine's UK editor, said: “The Letter to My Younger Self interview is the blue riband part of the Big Issue. Every week, it’s the section of the magazine our readers tell us they turn to first.

“It looks effortless but I know the work that goes into putting these pieces together. We’ve talked about collecting them in a book for a long time, but it’s never been quite right.”

The Big Issue is a financially independent charity and street newspaper which sells more than 78,000 copies every week across Britain. It was founded in 1991.