HarperNorth acquires 'epic tale' from Stuart Maconie of the people who made The Beatles

HarperNorth has acquired an "epic tale" of the people behind the scenes who "made" The Beatles from writer and broadcaster Stuart Maconie. Genevieve Pegg, publisher of HarperNorth, acquired world all-language rights to With a Little Help from their Friends: The Beatles Changed the World, But Who Changed Theirs? from Kate Haldane of PBJ Management. The book will publish in hardback, e-book and audio in June 2025.

The book, in which Maconie tells the "epic" tale of the people behind the scenes of the band – from roadies to cabbies, muses to mavericks, photographers to hairdressers – and will be split into three sections, Before the Beatles, With the Beatles and Beyond the Beatles. 

The publisher said the story is told with Maconie’s "customary humour and erudition", and he has included his own experiences, encounters and conversations. The synopsis continues: "This is a book that will show the Beatles, and our ongoing obsession with them, in a way like never before."

Pegg said: "I can’t think of a writer better placed to tell this story – with deep knowledge and affection, yes, but also with Stuart’s way of scything through expectation, and his gift for finding the human heart of a story and helping you see something afresh."

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