HarperNorth scoops Sykes' memoir on her later-life autism diagnosis

HarperNorth has scooped Melanie Sykes’ memoir about her later-life autism diagnosis. 

Genevieve Pegg, publishing director, acquired UK and Commonwealth rights to Illuminated from Cathryn Summerhayes at Curtis Brown. It will publish in April in hardback, e-book and audio. 

The publisher said the memoir showed how Sykes’ diagnosis shed new light on her life and career and suggested how society could be made more inclusive and empowering. 

Pegg said: “Melanie has been a familiar presence in so many of our lives since she burst onto the scene in the 1990s but beyond the Melanie we feel we know from her TV and radio career there’s a far wider, deeper story to her life. From her Lancashire childhood to surviving a media onslaught as she navigated fame, motherhood, self-medicating and trauma to her breakdown and breakthrough to become a campaigner and autism advocate, her story is one of honesty, resilience and growth in the face of challenge. By turns hard-hitting and joyful, it’s packed with surprise, hope and calls to action.” 

Sykes added: “My desire to write this book pre-dates my autism and ADHD diagnosis because I believed I had an interesting life to share but my diagnosis changed the lens through which I perceived my story. This miraculous happening at the age of 52 shone light across my entire life but took time to unpick. This book is a result of that exploration, all with this new perspective.  

“Getting a late diagnosis and having to learn about and understand my neurodivergent mind and sensitivities has indeed unlocked my happiness but it’s been an arduous road. Writing this book sometimes felt like I was performing open-heart surgery on myself but I knew how necessary it was. I can now put it out into the world unapologetically and confidently because sharing all the wisdom my life has given me makes it all worthwhile. We should all be allowed to ask for what we need, pursue what we desire and have what we want and always follow our instincts and ours alone. I hope that anyone reading this book finds healing within its pages as I have. It is my hope that in the process they find themselves, their health and their dreams.’ 

Summerhayes added: “As soon as I read about Melanie’s diagnosis I admired her courage in speaking up so it is a great privilege to be representing what promises to be an important and potentially life-changing book for so many people.”