Michaela Coel has announced that she’ll be publishing her debut book in September.
Titled Misfits: A Personal Manifesto, the book will see the Chewing Gum and I May Destroy You creator and actor recount personal anecdotes from her life and work, as well as chart her journey to reclaim her creativity and power as a survivor.
Marianne Tatepo, the commissioning editor at publisher Ebury, said in a statement: “Ever since I first watched Chewing Gum, I knew that Michaela was one of a kind. I May Destroy You again proved this to be true, gathering fans everywhere. By turns inquisitive, devastating, beautiful, and hilarious, Michaela’s storytelling forever urges us to think again.”
She continued: “Her debut, Misfits, draws on the same kaleidoscope of ideas and emotions as her hit TV shows, and will inspire readers to reflect on their own relationship to power. We are proud to be bringing Michaela’s unique voice to a whole new audience.”
According to Ebury’s official synopsis, Misfits: A Personal Manifesto will draw on Coel’s 2018 MacTaggart Lecture at Edinburgh TV Festival, during which she discussed the racism and sexual assault she’d suffered while working in the industry. In the speech, Coel said she was “seeking out people who are willing to be transparent and that comes with the risk of losing everything. But I don’t mind because I’d rather have transparency”.
Look back at Dazed’s 2019 interview with Coel here, in which she discusses letting go of fame’s challenges, servicing the world with art, and – aptly – writing stories for “misfits”.
Michaela Coel’s Misfits: A Personal Manifesto will be published by Ebury on September 7. You can pre-order your copy here.