Debbie Harry autobiography set for October

Blondie frontwoman Debbie Harry's memoir, Face It, will be published by HarperCollins in October. 

Harry will recount Blondie's early days in New York and their rise to global fame. Written in collaboration with journalist and author Sylvie Simmons, Face It will include interviews with Simmons and original essays from Harry. Unseen photographs and art from fans will also feature in the memoir, described by HarperCollins as “an arresting mix of visceral storytelling and stunning visuals that reflects the complexity of its subject.” 

HarperNonFiction will publish alongside Dey Street Books, HarperCollins in the US, on 1st October 2019. Dey Street Books vice president, editorial director Carrie Thornton negotiated the deal with 10th Street Entertainment. Ed Faulkner and Zoe Berville will oversee the UK publication. 

“I didn’t want to [write it], but I did,” said Harry. “There are many more stories for me to tell; some funny, some scary, some warm, some chill to the bone and if Face It appeals to people then I will get to telling more of the anecdotal bits of the story of Blondie-like the time I met Rita Hayworth and Penny Singleton backstage at the Greek Theater in Los Angeles. This book is biographical and covers a lot of years. I know there will be questions asked because in putting this together, I realised I have led a very full life and couldn't possibly cover everything in just one volume. I'm prepared for the best and the worst comments, much like when I have released an album or done a big show. I don't have a thick skin, but I do have a pretty good sense of humour.” 

Ed Faulkner, non-fiction publisher at HarperCollins, said: “It is the most immense privilege to be publishing Debbie Harry’s extraordinary memoir at HarperNonFiction. Hers is the voice of a generation, with resonance as powerful now as it was 40 years ago, and Face It is the honest, powerful story of a true icon.”