Dialogue Books triumphs in 12-way auction for the memoir from 'legendary' Tina Knowles

Dialogue Books has triumphed in a "blistering" 12-way auction for Matriarch, the memoir from "legendary" stylist and businesswoman, Tina Knowles.

Managing director Sharmaine Lovegrove acquired UK and Commonwealth rights from Meredith Miller at UTA. North American rights went to One World vice-president and executive editor Kierna Mayo from Albert Lee at UTA. The memoir will be published on 22nd April 2025 and the audiobook edition, read by Knowles, will be released simultaneously.

In Matriarch, Knowles, the mother of Beyoncé Knowles-Carter and Solange Knowles, has created a "pageturning chronicle of family, love and heartbreak… and [the] will it takes for a girl from Galveston to change the world". Born in 1950s Galveston, Knowles’ "instincts and impulsive nature [drove] her far beyond the shores of Texas".

Knowles opened Headliners, a hair salon that went on to become a multi-million dollar "phenomenon" in 1986. She also helped "guide the day-to-day path" of music group Destiny’s Child, co-founded and ran the clothing line House of Deréon with Knowles-Carter. This year, Knowles helped create Cécred, Knowles-Carter’s haircare line.

Tina said: “I have always been a storyteller, and it’s something I learned from my mother. When I had a family of my own, I believed that my daughters needed to know where they came from to know where they were going.

"I am calling this book Matriarch, because what inspires me is the wisdom that women pass on to each other, generation to generation – and the inner wisdom we long to uncover in ourselves.  Even at 70, I am still learning valuable lessons – revelations that I wish that I would have had at 40 or even 20. So, I have decided to tell my story, because I know what it means to me and my daughters and future generations of women.”

Lovegrove added: “I had goosebumps upon reading the inspirational proposal of Matriarch as it promised to be a truly sensational experience, and now after reading the full manuscript, Matriarch fully delivers on being a page-turning memoir that celebrates Ms Tina’s ancestors, shows the expansive way in which she cherishes and celebrates her children, and upholds the values while navigating the challenges of modern womanhood."