Some non-fiction books to look out for in 2026. One of the titles tells a downright heart-wrenching story

The British newspaper The Guardian made a selection of non-fiction books to be published next year.

After a year in which we were treated to memoirs by stars like Patti Smith or Anthony Hopkins, 2026 begins with a very different true story, of a person who never chose to be in the spotlight, but who now wants his horrific experiences to have a positive outcome, writes the British newspaper.

After the trial in which her husband and 50 others were convicted of rape or sexual assault, French woman Gisèle Pelicot aims to cultivate “strength and courage” among other survivors. In the book “A Hymn to Life” – “Un imn adus viei” (A Hymn to Life), to be published in February), she insists that “shame must change sides”.

Another book that promises to be important is Ghost Stories (May) by American novelist Siri Hustvedt (pictured), a memoir about her last years with her husband, writer Paul Auster, who died of cancer in 2024.

The Steps (Seven Dials), Sylvester Stallone's first autobiography, will also be released in May, following the star's journey from the time he was homeless in New York in the 70s to the triumph of the film Rocky at the Oscars, later in the same decade.

Also due out in February is the new biography of Gordon Brown, for which author James Macintyre had “unique” access to the former prime minister's personal archives.

At the same time, Canadian essayist Naomi Klein (pictured, left) collaborates with documentary filmmaker Astra Taylor to describe in End Times Fascism (out September), the “man-made Armageddon complex” built by religious fundamentalists, tech barons and nationalists who threaten democracy.

After the huge success of the Netflix series Adolescence, which featured the aftermath of a misogynistic crime, teenage masculinity remains in the spotlight. One of the show's stars, Stephen Graham, collaborated with psychologist Orly Klein to compile Letters to Our Sons (Bloomsbury, October), a collection of fathers' reflections on “what it means to be a man”, including one from the actor himself.

In Tonight the Music Seems So Loud (June), journalist Sathnam Sanghera explores what made the enigmatic pop genius George Michael such an influential cultural figure 10 years after his death at the age of 53.