My book
David Bowie and the Search for Life, Death and God
I’m pretty thrilled to announce that my book is coming out on January 15, 2026. It’s called David Bowie and the Search for Life, Death and God, and will be published by Bloomsbury in the UK and the USA.
It feels like quite a thing to be telling you. The book began life here, on this Substack. I initially thought I’d write a few posts on this topic, and that would be that. But the more I wrote, the more I discovered. And now, thanks to the support and encouragement of your good selves, and to the belief and help of my wonderful publishers, here we are. I’m credited as the author, but it’s been a team effort, and a number of you have been integral to it. I can’t thank you enough.
The book looks great. I can say this without bragging. Bloomsbury designed the cover and chose a gorgeous typeface. They have taken great care with it all, as I’m sure will be evident to you if you buy a copy.
My thinking, knowledge and understanding have come a long way since I started writing about all this. I believe that the book is a far richer, more detailed and more powerful read than these Substack pieces. There are new interviews and new insights and new discoveries. There are things you will never have read before about Bowie and his world. But more importantly, I hope you will find that the book itself is new, that the approach it takes is new, and that it helps you understand Bowie in a new way. You may well learn about various other brilliant people too, along with ideas and philosophies that have shaped the world and changed countless lives.
David Bowie and the Search for Life, Death and God has already had one review, by Dr Paul Fuller, Lecturer in Buddhist Studies at the University of Edinburgh. He calls it “monumental, compelling, and profoundly original”. I’m very happy to say also that Waterstones has chosen it to be part of a pre-order promotion from October 14 to 17; order using the code OCTOBER25 and you’ll get 25% off. But you can order it from other places instead if you prefer. You’ll find some options by clicking here:
https://linktr.ee/davidbowiesearch
Writing this book has been a pleasure and privilege. Thank you again.
The impending publication of the book has left me with a tricky decision to take. What should I do with all the pieces I’ve written on this Substack? Keep them out in the public, or wrap them up and put them away? They’re still important to me, and perhaps to some of you. I’ve also really enjoyed seeing readers flock to posts about lesser-known or less written-about parts of Bowie’s career. My most popular piece isn’t about Ziggy Stardust or Let’s Dance, but about the time Bowie prayed the Lord’s Prayer at Wembley Stadium; more people have read my piece on The Next Day than pretty much anything else. I like the idea of people discovering these things, and of this Substack being a free library for the curious.
But I also have to face up to the fact that, basically, all this stuff is done better in the book. These Substack pieces don’t always reflect my current thinking, and I believe that the book comes a lot closer to doing justice to the topic.
There is another consideration too, perhaps a less noble one. In short, a lot of people have worked hard on this book and I’d like people to buy it (I should add that Bloomsbury has put no pressure on me to ‘unpublish’ any of these pieces). So I’m minded to take down those pieces. It actually makes me feel a bit sad to write that.
But - BUT! - my intention is for Bowie/God to live on. There are some things I’d like to write more about, and I’d love to hear what ideas you may have, too. I’m hoping to pay more visits to the Bowie archive, which opened just before the book was printed; there will be treasures aplenty there, and I look forward to sharing them with you. I’ll tell you a bit more about what it’s been like to write the book, and let you know about any events, talks, interviews or suchlike that you might be interested in.
So maybe the book is the culmination of something, but also the foundation of something else. Whether you’ve been with me from the start or are just climbing aboard, I’m most grateful to you.
I hope you enjoy the book. Thank you.
fantastic! can't wait to read!