With Cabaret continuing its record-breaking run in London’s West End, the star of the original and iconic 1972 film Liza Minnelli is to have her memoirs published by Grand Central Publishing in the US and Hodder in the UK. Both are Hachette houses.
Minnelli, who is 79, is the daughter of actress and singer Judy Garland and film director Vincent Minnelli. She is Hollywood royalty, and a link with the movie industry’s golden age.
Hodder’s Anna Mrowiec acquired UK and Commonwealth rights, excluding Canada, from Matilda Forbes Watson at William Morris Endeavor. The memoir will be published simultaneously on both sides of the Atlantic on 12 March 2026 – Minnelli’s 80th birthday.
The description reads: “From her childhood in the spotlight as the daughter of iconic actress and performer Judy Garland and legendary film director Vincente Minnelli to her breakout successes in Cabaret and Liza with a Z, and through her high-octane marriages and struggles with substance use disorder, this memoir offers an intimate look at the star we cherish. It reveals the raw and triumphant experiences that have solidified her status as one of the most compelling performers ever in entertainment history.”
Helping Minnelli with the book are Heidi Evans, a Pulitzer Prize winner, and Josh Getlin, a Pulitzer Prize-winning veteran, Los Angeles Times correspondent and New York bureau chief, who covered arts, entertainment, politics and publishing for more than 30 years.
Minnelli said: “Since I was old enough to put pencil to paper, people asked me to write books about my career, my life, my loves, my family. Absolutely not! ‘Tell it when I’m gone!’ was my philosophy. So, why did I change my mind? A sabotaged appearance at the Oscars, in front of billions of people, a film with twisted half-truths, a recent miniseries that just didn’t get it right. All made by people who didn’t know my family, and don’t really know me. Finally, I was mad as hell! Over dinner one night, I decided, it’s my own damn story, I’m gonna share it with you because of all the love you’ve given me.
“I turned to my most beloved friend Michael Feinstein and yelled: Help! We’ve been joined at the hip for 40 years. As ambassador of the great American songbook and my absolute favourite collaborator, Michael’s one of the greats, he’s razor-sharp and he tells the truth. That’s important because, as I fly towards my eighth decade of living, memories differ. I am thrilled to be working with Coronet. This tome has a unique place in history. The Minnellis have been in show business for literally hundreds of years!”
She continued: “Today, after incredible events and life-threatening battles, I am truly ‘Lady Peaceful, Lady Happy.’ Thank you all for loving me so much, being concerned about me. I want you to know I’m still here, still kickin’ ass, still loving life and still creating. So, until this book arrives, know that I’m laughing, safe in every way, surrounded by loved ones and excited to see what’s right around the curve of life. Kids, wait ’til you hear this!”