You are viewing your 1 free article this month. Login to read more articles.
Hodder & Stoughton has scooped an "intimate and moving" memoir from ballet dancer and entertainer Wayne Sleep.
Consultant editor Tom Perrin bought world all-language rights to Just Different from Jane Compton at Compton Management and the book will be published in hardback, e-book and audiobook — read by the author — in October 2024.
"Through an almost sixty-year career Wayne Sleep has been celebrated internationally as a dancer and performing artist," the synopsis says. "He danced with ballet legends Rudolf Nureyev and Margot Fonteyn and Ninette de Valois, founder of the Royal Ballet, described him as ‘the greatest virtuoso dancer the Royal Ballet has ever produced’."
The synopsis adds: "In this memoir Sleep looks back on the amazing times he has lived through, providing readers with behind-the-scenes insights into his close friendships with some of the 20th century’s greatest cultural icons, in particular Freddie Mercury, Rudolf Nureyev and Princess Diana, with whom he famously performed in 1985, becoming her close friend."
Sleep said: "Writing Just Different has been a journey of great personal reflection, and I hope my story reflects the power of persevering and not being afraid to stand out in a world that often demands conformity. Hopefully, there are few laughs in there too!"
Perrin added: "Wayne Sleep is an absolute legend and cultural icon, and it is both an honour and a pleasure to be publishing his book about his extraordinary life. This is a portrait not just of a remarkable man but also a fascinating slice of cultural history."