Headline lands Kinks guitarist Dave Davies' autobiography

Headline has acquired Dave Davies’ Living on a Thin Line, an autobiography revisiting the glory days of the "epoch-defining" band The Kinks. 

Richard Roper, senior commissioning editor, bought world rights from Cathryn Summerhayes at Curtis Brown. Living on a Thin Line is expected to be released in hardback and e-book in July 2022.

Dave Davies, a British singer, songwriter and guitarist, co-founded The Kinks alongside his brother Ray. The autobiography will explore the glory days of the band, its legacy and the turbulent relationship between the two founding brothers. Mixing tales of the band with music legends John Lennon and Jimi Hendrix, Davies recounts the heyday of rock 'n' roll in a memoir "rich with wonderful anecdotes and reflections on an extraordinary career".

"Dave is hands-down one of the greatest musicians to pick up a guitar," said Roper. "His fans will absolutely adore it."

Davies added: "I’ve had a laugh, and shed quite a few tears, thinking back over the last six decades since The Kinks had our first hit in 1964 with ‘You Really Got Me’. Here are the ups and downs of my life in The Kinks and what happened afterwards. Prepare to be amazed and, I hope, surprised."