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Canongate has acquired I Shop Therefore I Am: The 90’s, Harvey Nicks—and me by Mary Portas.
Helena Gonda, senior commissioning editor, pre-empted UK and Commonwealth rights from Cathryn Summerhayes and Sabhbh Curran at Curtis Brown. Canongate will publish in hardback, e-book and audio in September 2025, with a paperback to follow.
"In this no-holds-barred account of her time at Harvey Nichols, Mary takes us behind the shop window to the people who kept the show on the road," the synopsis says. "We’ll meet the celebrity clientele splashing the cash on the shop floor and the eccentric cast of assistants, buyers and stylists sweating in their sample sale clobber to make the real magic happen. Told with Mary’s quintessential wit, grit and candour, readers will be drawn into the unique magical thinking of this decade, where a bunch of ragtag creatives could fashion up windows with the sheer beauty and originality to grab headlines and even stop traffic."
Portas commented: "There’s not an author at Canongate that I don’t respect, probably because Canongate does things with flair and innovation and a healthy dollop of risk. I’m so happy to be joining them."
Summerhayes and Curran said: "Mary Portas is a thrilling addition to the Curtis Brown roster and a publishing partnership with Canongate and the brilliant Helena Gonda promises creative publishing and crazy adventures. We couldn’t be more excited!"
Gonda added: "Before she became Queen of Shops, Mary was the undisputed Queen of Fashion. Told with her trademark wit and style, this memoir is perfect for anyone experiencing the wave of nineties nostalgia and an opportunity to reflect on all that has changed since then. Mary has always been a trailblazer and I’m so excited to be welcoming her to Canongate."