{"product_id":"a-life-in-lyrics-the-official-creative-legacy-of-freddie-mercury-based-on-his-unseen-personal-archives-and-collections-9780008735388","title":"A Life in Lyrics","description":"\u003cp\u003eTHE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER           A NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER           \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e             \u003cstrong\u003eFreddie Mercury was one of the greatest showmen of the twentieth century. With his unparalleled voice and searing on-stage energy, he was a great pretender, a killer queen and a champion of the world.\u003c\/strong\u003e           \u003c\/p\u003eTHE NO.1 SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLERA NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eFreddie Mercury was one of the greatest showmen of the twentieth century. With his unparalleled voice and searing on-stage energy, he was a great pretender, a killer queen and a champion of the world.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cbr\u003e \u003cp\u003eBut behind the glamour lived a musician and lyricist talented beyond measure, and the creative force behind one of the most culturally significant and musically diverse bands the world has ever seen.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eWhen Freddie passed away in 1991, he left to his former fiancée and dearest friend Mary Austin not only his house and possessions but also a creative archive spanning almost two decades. From his earliest works before Queen was formed, right through to the end of his solo career, his notebooks and doodlings contain previously unpublished material including alternate lyrics and abandoned verses for ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ and multiple drafts of ‘Don’t Stop Me Now’, as well as entire songs that were never recorded.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eAccompanied by stories, memories, and anecdotes from his lifelong companion, and illustrated with photographs from Freddie’s personal collection, many of which have never been published before, \u003cem\u003eA Life in Lyrics\u003c\/em\u003e is the definitive creative record of one of the greatest songwriters of all time.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eDetails\u003c\/h4\u003e\u003cp\u003eISBN13: 9780008735388\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFormat: Hardback\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eNumber of Pages: 320\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eEdition: \u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication Date: 13 Oct 2026\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublisher: HarperCollins Publishers\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003ePublication City, Country: London, United Kingdom\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eDimensions (cm): 25.2(H)x19.5(L)x2.8(W)1220\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWeight (gm): 1220\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch4\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h4\u003eWhen Mary Austin first met Freddie Mercury in 1970, it marked the beginning of an enduring friendship that would shape the rest of each of their lives. She, aged 19, worked at the Biba store in Kensington, while he, aged 24, ran a stall selling his artworks in Kensington Market. They would become engaged four years later, on Christmas Day 1973, the same year that Queen released their debut album. After Mary and Freddie's relationship came to an end in the mid 1970s they would remain a central presence in each other's worlds for the next two decades. When Freddie passed away in 1991, he left his home, Garden Lodge, and his possessions to Mary, who has treasured and celebrated the memory of her beloved friend ever since.   When Mary Austin first met Freddie Mercury in 1970, it marked the beginning of an enduring friendship that would shape the rest of each of their lives. She, aged 19, worked at the Biba store in Kensington, while he, aged 24, ran a stall selling his artworks in Kensington Market. They would become engaged four years later, on Christmas Day 1973, the same year that Queen released their debut album. After Mary and Freddie's relationship came to an end in the mid 1970s they would remain a central presence in each other's worlds for the next two decades. When Freddie passed away in 1991, he left his home, Garden Lodge, and his possessions to Mary, who has treasured and celebrated the memory of her beloved friend ever since.\u003ch4\u003eReviews\u003c\/h4\u003e“Queen fans should be thanking Austin for showing them the real Mercury. A Life in Lyrics is not just a lovingly personal and often revealing account of a life spent in devotion to Mercury in both life and death, but a first-hand account of Mercury’s creative blossoming…” \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe i Paper \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Compelling’ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eThe Observer\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘An enduring love story … An honourable, deeply intimate book, part memoir, part tribute’ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eMOJO\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Austin writes touchingly’ \u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003eUncut \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e‘Gloriously intimate photographs’\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cem\u003e Attitude \u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e","brand":"Freddie Mercury","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":50735558230233,"sku":"9780008735388","price":60.0,"currency_code":"AUD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0502\/9530\/8441\/files\/9780008735388.jpg?v=1792168710","url":"https:\/\/www.arielbooks.com.au\/products\/a-life-in-lyrics-the-official-creative-legacy-of-freddie-mercury-based-on-his-unseen-personal-archives-and-collections-9780008735388","provider":"Ariel","version":"1.0","type":"link"}