9 of the Best Memoirs to Read

Poet Chimene Suleyman offers a frank and heartfelt look at emotionally abusive relationships and their aftermath in The Chain. After the end of her relationship with a toxic partner, Suleyman discovers that her ex-boyfriend has also had abusive relationships with several other women. Connecting with these women allows Suleyman not only to heal but also to explore how women can be tricked into toxic partnerships.

In Pageboy, Elliot Page tells the story of his professional journey into becoming one of the best-known actors of his generation, alongside his highly personal journey of discovering his trans identity and coming out as a trans man. Pageboy is at times a very tough read, dealing with sexual assault, family alienation and other difficult subjects, but is ultimately uplifting and joyful.

Munroe Bergdorf is a model, activist, and the first UK Champion for UN Women. In her memoir, she writes about her life as a Black trans woman in the UK, a country that has a history of institutionalised racism and an ever-growing atmosphere of vicious transphobia. In Transitional, Bergdorf makes the case that everyone ‘transitions’ in some way during their lives, whatever their race, sexuality, or gender identity, and offers a powerful vision of how to build a more caring and compassionate society.

In her groundbreaking memoir, Lamya H. talks about her experience of growing up as a young lesbian Muslim woman who develops her understanding of her sexuality through her engagement with her faith and her study of the Quran. Following her life as she moves to the US and comes out, Hijab Butch Blues is a deep and moving exploration of identity.

Naomi Klein is best known for her incisive books on politics and society, particularly the groundbreaking No Logo. However, throughout her professional life and especially in recent years, she has been repeatedly mistaken for another Naomi — Naomi Wolf, who was initially famous for works such as The Beauty Myth but is now more often remembered for her tweets that include conspiracy theories and anti-vax rhetoric. Doppelganger is part memoir and part deep dive into our current age of fake news and the proliferation of conspiracy theories on social media.

Geraldine DeRuiter went viral when she posted about making the cinnamon roll recipe that, bafflingly, chef Mario Batali included in his apology for sexual harassment. In If You Can’t Take the Heat, DeRuiter takes on other examples of misogyny and abuse in the world of food, as well as talking about her life growing up and her work as a restaurant critic.

Charles Spencer, the brother of the late Princess Diana, outwardly seemed to have led a luxurious life as a high-profile member of the British aristocracy. However, like the majority of his peers, Spencer spent his childhood at expensive boarding schools — where, also like many of his peers, he suffered horrific physical, emotional, and sexual abuse from the adults who were supposed to be caring for this cohort of young boys. Spencer draws on his own memories and diaries but also talks to other survivors about their experiences and how their lives have been impacted.

Malorie Blackman is an awesomely talented and prolific author and was formerly the UK Children’s Laureate, in charge of championing books for young readers. Just Sayin’ explores her relationship with stories and her childhood growing up as a young Black woman in the UK during the often openly racist environment of the Seventies and Eighties. Anyone who loves Blackman’s books will find her life story fascinating.

Part memoir and part guide, Burning My Roti tells the story of being queer and South Asian in a heteronormative, white-centric world and how to thrive in the face of marginalisation and prejudice. Tackling beauty standards, mental health, sexuality, and a host of other topics, Burning My Roti is an important read.