A review by alisonburnis
A Memoir of My Former Self: A Life in Writing by Hilary Mantel

emotional funny reflective relaxing slow-paced

5.0

I was something of a latecomer to the brilliant writing of Hilary Mantel - but how wonderful it was to have lived in the same world as her, and getting to read The Mirror and The Light when it came out. I was crushed when she died in 2022, so when I saw this posthumous book, I needed it. This is a collection of Mantel’s essays, speeches, and articles as chosen by her book editor of the last twenty years of her career. What results is a funny, sharp, introspective collection of work that made me feel like I understood Mantel and her work that much better.