by A new book, A Life In Lyrics, by the late Queen frontman Freddie Mercury and his close friend Mary Austin, is set for publication.
HarperCollins Publishing have confirmed plans to release the book in September 2026 during the same week that Mercury would have celebrated his 80th birthday.
A Life In Lyrics has been described as his “official creative legacy”, it is based on his previously unseen personal archives, manuscripts and collections.
Following his death in 1991, Mercury left his house, possessions and personal archives to Austin, who is now ready to share them with the world. This includes alternate lyrics to classic songs, doodles and dates back to before Queen was even formed.
Austin said of the project: “In early 2023, in the midst of cataloguing the contents of Garden Lodge, this wonderful home Freddie had left to me, I began to leaf through the papers my family and I had collected together from where they had lain, undisturbed and unseen, in the house for over thirty years. Here were the working drafts for Freddie’s lyrics, set down across loose sheets of paper and in simple, plain notebooks that entirely belied the wonders within.”
She continued, “This reemergence of Freddie’s handwritten notes, offering a window into his brilliant, creative mind, stirred up many memories from decades passed, of conversations, occasions and emotions. Freddie’s songs continue to bring so much happiness, and solace, to so many.”
Austin also said of her hopes for the book, “I hope that by sharing his manuscripts now, contextualized with fresh insights and a sprinkling of vignettes of our lives together, I will illuminate the remarkable creative force of my dear friend for the enjoyment of everyone he continues to delight and inspire, even after all these years.”
Meanwhile, HarperCollins’ Sarah Emsley said that “listening to Mary’s memories of how these songs came about and seeing them come to life on the page is absolute magic” and promised that it “is a book that will make your heart sing”.
