Posts in the Biography category

15 May
2013

Bernie Nolan on her book, Now & Forever


Author Guest Posts, Biography

I’ve been counting my blessings, which might seem an odd thing to do, considering I have cancer that can’t be cured. But I wouldn’t be Bernie if I couldn’t find that glimmer of light in the dark.

There’s no question that writing this book has made me confront the cold reality of my current situation, but it’s also made me realise what a full and wonderful life I’ve had, and how much I still have to be grateful for. My glass has always been half full and I’m passionate about life. So I made the decision right from the start that I’d rather live with hope. My positivity has been crucial in helping me to live with cancer and win many little battles along the way. I would be lying if I said I never had dark moments when I felt scared and desperate and sad, but I never once thought of myself as ‘dying of cancer’ – my attitude has always been that I’m living with it.

I also believe that my childhood and teenage years armed me with many of the qualities I needed to take on this disease: a fighting spirit and a bloody good sense of humour. Being born into a family of eight kids – with five competitive sisters – meant I always had to shout louder than the rest to get myself heard. And being part of a sweet and innocent girl band also gave me plenty to rebel against! Not bad preparation for summoning up the sheer determination you need when you’re trying to beat the odds of a pretty grim cancer diagnosis and get your doctors to listen to you.

It never entered my head that I was writing a memoir because I was going to die – quite the opposite. I want my book to be a celebration of my life, which has been full, happy, exciting and filled with wonderful people and experiences. Cancer is a relatively new thing for me and, yes, it has changed me – how could it not? But I don’t want the disease to define me. Cancer has become part of my journey, but it’s not the whole story. There’s so much more to me than that. I’m a wife, mother, daughter, sister, friend and auntie – those are the roles I want to define me.

My life has always been blessed by music. I’ve been singing professionally for fifty years and now my voice has been taken away, I feel so glad I got the chance to make my solo album. If anyone wants to play something of mine when I’m gone, that’s what to play. I’m grateful my daughter Erin will have it to keep her company, too. And it has the beautiful song Steve wrote for Kate, the daughter we were blessed with first, who sadly didn’t get to see any of this life. In the album sleeve I wrote: ‘Whenever I’ve been happy, music has helped me celebrate. When I’ve been sad, it’s been a friend. Music has never let me down.’ And, over past three years, those words have never had more poignancy.

Anyway, thank you so much for reading this and I really hope you enjoy my book.

Get your copy of Now & Forever by Bernie Nolan in store now!

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21 Mar
2013

Best-selling author James Herbert has passed away


Biography

The Books Team are saddened to hear the news that our friend and best selling author James Herbert passed away at home yesterday.

Our kindest thoughts are now with his wife and daughters at this difficult time. We will miss him dearly.

James Herbert will forever be remembered as one of the great horror writers of our time.

 

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29 Jan
2013

Meet Laila Morse a.k.a. Big Mo from Eastenders!


Author Guest Posts, Biography

Hello Tesco Books Blog readers!

It’s Laila Morse here, a.k.a Big Mo from EastEnders. Hope this finds you all well and enjoying 2013 so far. I’m here to tell you all about my autobiography, Just a Mo, which is out on January 31st. It tells the full story of my topsy-turvy life, from growing up in south London to landing the role of Big Mo on EastEnders when I was fifty-five years old, and everything in between.

Becoming an actress was never something I thought would happen to me. My life was a million miles away from all that glitz and glamour – as you’ll find out in the book. Life’s been tough along the way, but you’ve just got to keep your chin up and keep going…

I found working on the book really interesting. It was great seeing the finished copy after all the hard work. It was a bit strange going back over all the stories from the past, but it wasn’t too terrible. What’s happened happened, after all. Your life is what it is. You’re just got to get on with it.

Here’s a little video to tell you all about the book. Thanks for watching, and I hope you enjoy reading my story.

Laila x

 

Buy Just a Mo by Laila Morse in store from 31st January for just £9.00!

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8 Nov
2012

Win tickets to see Ashleigh and I!


Author Guest Posts, Biography, Children's, Competitions

Right now, Ashleigh and I are locked in rehearsals for our Royal Variety Performance. I love to dance, and Ashleigh has enjoyed taking me through our new routine every step of the way. We’re both so excited, but frankly it’s a miracle that we’re on the billing at all. Why? Because when the official invitation from Her Majesty flopped through the letterbox at home, I did what comes naturally to a dog. Unaware of the sender, and assuming it was a bill, I pounced on the envelope before it had even hit the ground. I then set about shredding it until Ashleigh wrestled it from my jaws.

Fortunately, Ashleigh and her mum were able to piece the letter back together. As they did so, I couldn’t help noticing the posh-looking seal on the envelope I had destroyed. Closer investigation also revealed the unmistakable aroma of corgi. I’d figured out what this meant moments before Ashleigh read the invitation and gasped. For one thing, I was in big trouble for wrecking the kind of letter that should be framed and hung on the wall. More importantly, it contained confirmation that we’d been asked to perform in front of the Queen! I’d heard rumours that She was keen to see us dance, and this confirmed it. We were overjoyed, but anxious not to lose our heads – which is why we’ve lined up the performance of a lifetime!

Even for a dog who can count on Simon Cowell as his BFF, this really is a big deal. I’ve never seen a Royal Variety Performance on the television, but I’m guessing it must be like Britain’s Got Talent with a lot of red carpet thrown in for good measure. It’s going to be an honour and a thrill. I just hope that Ashleigh and I get through to the end without the Queen pressing her buzzer and lighting up the cross in front of her panel. That’s how it works, right?

Whatever the case, I’m also looking forward to meeting Her Majesty and her four-legged friends backstage. Ashleigh has perfected her curtsey, and I’ve been practising my bow-wow. So long as I don’t put a paw wrong, and nobody mentions the regrettable episode with the invitation, we’re hoping this will be another memorable event in my crazy life. You can read all about the highs, lows, challenges and triumphs of my adventure so far in Pudsey: My Autobidography.

What’s more if your name isn’t on the list for the Royal Variety Performance, you can still see Ashleigh and me on stage. We’re starring in Dick Wittington at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking from 7th December to 6th January!

To win tickets to see Ashleigh and Pudsey make their theatrical debut and meet the duo after their performance all you have to do is answer the question in the comments section below:

On which show did Pudsey and Ashleigh shoot to fame?

Buy Pudsey: My Autodiography online and in store now for just £5.00!

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19 Oct
2012

Win a copy of Camp David by David Walliams!


Biography, Competitions

Wildly famous comedian, anarchic judge on Britain’s Got Talent, and record-breaking long distance swimmer, David Walliams is a man of many talents.

He was launched to fame with the monumentally successful Little Britain, the characters from which have become embedded in our shared popular culture. ‘I’m a lady’, ‘Computer Says No!’ and ‘Bitty!’ are some of the most famous catchphrases in British comedy.

Yet Walliams is a mystery. Often described as a bundle of contradictions, he is an enigma, playing up his campness one minute and then swimming 130 miles in a filthy river the next.

To read Camp David is to be truly shocked, as well as tickled pink – Walliams bares his soul as never before and reveals a fascinating and complex mind. Containing extracts from his deeply private diaries, this extraordinary memoir unlocks many closely guarded secrets that until now have remained hidden in his past.

Watch an exclusive chat with David below and enter our competition for the chance to win a signed, framed photo of the man himself plus a copy of the book!

To enter the competition, all you need to do is answer the following question in the comments section below:

What was your favourite funny or inspiring moment from David Walliams’ career?

Buy Camp David by David Walliams online and in store now for £9.00!

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9 Oct
2012

A message from Pudsey exclusively for Tesco Books!


Author Guest Posts, Biography

It’s an age-old question that everyone asks: where does a dancing dog go after winning Britain’s Got Talent? Well, once the whirlwind of media interviews finished, not to mention the trip to America on Simon Cowell’s private jet, I had some time to reflect and consider my options. This basically involved curling up in my basket at home and snoozing. OK, that may not sound like much of an effort, but it’s where dog dreams take shape.

Eventually, I had a list in mind. Firstly, I would learn to catch any stick that Ashleigh threw for me before it reached the ground. Secondly, and this is a big deal in my world, I pledged to remain friends with our neighbourhood cat, Handsome Brad, despite our natural differences. Thirdly, and many said it would be impossible, I wanted to write about the story of my life.

Now dogs do many things. We can snooze from dawn to dusk, have the ability to sniff out biscuit crumbs from twenty paces and can foretell when walkies is about to happen just by watching you glance at your watch and sigh. But let me tell you where your four-legged friends tend to fall short of the mark – the memoir department. We’re not exactly known for writing books, but this is where I set my sights.

Fortunately, I had Simon Cowell on hand to help me live the dream for a second time. Through his eyes, nothing is impossible. Not even a book about how I was born with stars in my eyes, and the wild adventure I embarked upon to become a dog that performed for the nation. It was a tall order, but Simon made it pawsable.

Now, with Pudsey: My Autobidography set to hit the shelves, I’m looking forward to sharing my story with you all. What’s more, Ashleigh and I have been working away to sign some copies just for you!

Watch out for the next Pudsey blog instalment coming your way very soon, including a competition to win a meet and greet with Pudsey and Ashleigh and tickets to see them in panto!

If you thought Pudsey was just a dog with a few stage tricks up his sleeve, just wait until you read about the challenges and scrapes that we faced for the chance to dance into your hearts.

Buy Pudsey: My Autobidography online and in store now for just £5.00! 

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18 Sep
2012

John Taylor of Duran Duran has put pen to paper…


Biography

John Taylor, author of In The Pleasure Groove: Love, Death and Duran Duran writes exclusively for Tesco about his new book, his literary inspiration and what he has learned in the course of setting down his memoirs on paper.

Almost three years ago, I lost my father. As I was clearing out the house I had grown up in, I found a great deal of memorabilia – photographs and documents from the early days of the band, which my parents had lovingly preserved.

The idea to write the book really started then. I’m a naturally self-reflective person, and I do believe in the benefits of mental ‘stock taking’ anyway, so I felt that writing the book would be part of the grieving process – for my dad, for my mother, who had died several years earlier, but also, in a way, for my own childhood; their passing disconnected me from the place I grew up in, the suburbs of south Birmingham.

I read a lot. I like Jonathan Lethem and Jennifer Egan, who have written beautifully about the music business, and I have read some fantastic music biographies over the years, such as Peter Guralnick’s Last Train to Memphis about Elvis’s early years. I loved Bob Dylan’s autobiography and always loved, and still do, the writers from the NME in the seventies: Nick Kent, Charles Shaar Murray and Ian MacDonald.

 
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25 May
2012

Win the chance to meet British olympian Tom Daley!


Biography

Since entering the public spotlight in 2008 with his performance at the summer olympics, where he was Britain’s youngest competitor, Tom Daley has gone on to become one of our foremost sporting personalities and a household name. Now he has released a fantastic memoir, detailing his rise to the top of his sport and his hopes for the future. You can find out more about the book over on Tesco Direct!

Why did you want to write a book?

At first the idea was for the book to be more pictorial, but then when I started to think about it I realised that even though I’m only 17 I’ve experienced quite a lot already and wanted to put something down on paper.

What will people enjoy most in the book?

The amount of photos and the deep insight into my life in the pool and out!

How many times do you reckon you’ve practised each dive you’re doing in the Olympics?

Thousands of times!

What do you think about whilst you’re diving?

The process of each dive, you can’t allow your mind to wander because that is when diving goes wrong!

When you jump off the board, do you keep your eyes open?

Always. It would be really dangerous if I were close my eyes at any point. You need to know exactly where you are throughout the dive and you need to keep your eyes open in order to do that.

Do you get scared when you try a new dive?

It’s always nerve wracking when you try a new dive for the first time. But it’s a gradual process so you can prepare yourself psychologically.

Have you had any You’ve Been Framed style diving injuries and what happened?

I’ve hit my head a couple of times on the diving board and have the scars to prove it. Over the years I’ve probably had a number of bad entries into the water that could have definitely got me on You’ve Been Framed!

How do you decide which dives to do in a competition?

It’s really about having a competitive tariff of difficulty to make sure you can be up there with the best divers in the World. I’ve got one of the hardest lists of dives, which means if I dive well then I can be right up there.

What do you think are your chances of winning Gold at the Olympics?

There are 8 divers in the World that have a real chance of winning Gold. Qui Bo is the current World Champion, but with diving it’s all about how you perform on the day.

Who are your sporting idols?

I think what Steve Redgrave achieved is incredible. To go to 5 Olympic Games and come away with a Gold each time is incredible. But the Canadian diver Alexandre Despatie, has been my idol for years.

What ambitions do you have beyond the 2012 Olympics?

I’m competing at the Junior World Championships in Adelaide in October, so I’ll have a couple of weeks off after the Olympics and then it will be back to training. I want to go to Rio, and who knows beyond that. Diving off a 10m means puts a lot of impact on your body, so quite often with divers it’s about how long you can stay injury free.

We’ve got a fantastic competition to watch Tom in training and have the opportunity to meet him afterwards! For your chance to win, click here to enter.

Buy My Story by Tom Daley, online from Tesco Direct for just £7.46  

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18 Apr
2012

Mike Skinner answers questions from the Tesco Books Blog readers!


Biography

A couple of weeks ago we gave you the chance to put your questions to one of the UK’s most authentic and original artists of the last decade: Mike Skinner. We took all of your questions and sent them off to Mike and he’s come back to us with his answers, and has also picked his favourite question to receive a signed copy of his new book – congratulations to Johannah Carroll for your great question!

As ever, a big thank you to everyone who got involved, apologies if you didn’t get lucky this time, and a big thank you to Mike for taking part!

Was it emotional when you returned to the bus stop from a grand don’t come for free cover to find that it had been replaced? Also what ever happened to Leo the lion from the tours?

I never thought of it as any more than a bus stop but it was nice that people thought it was more important than that. Made me feel nice. Leo left the streets to be on Love Island

What are your hopes for the future?

I’d like to produce lots of good music, make a decent film and then die at a grand age in the south of france.

Who are your musical inspirations?

Thomas bangalter and dr Dre are probably the 2 biggest figures of idolatry for me.

Who were your influences when you were growing up?

Rap and house music mainly. But also rage against the machine.

If you could be any breed of dog in the world – what would you be and why?

I’d be a golden retriever because men have the best luck with woman accompanied by that breed.

“Dry your eyes mate”, absolutely superb, reminded me of so many sad/happy times, why did you choose to write it and who was it based on?

It was part of the story of the album with the bus stop on the front of. It was fiction that I drew from teenage sadness.

Which one song do you ever wish you had wrote?

‘Boy Named Sue’ by Shel Silverstein as sung by Johnny Cash.

Who is your favourite blues player of all time and why?

I don’t have mad blues knowledge, but I love Jimi Hendrix .

Throughout history it’s been said ‘harsh economic times’ inspire the greatest music and art to be created, but do you think the current malaise effecting recording companies have made them play safe and opt for talent that is all a bit samey?

Very good question. Labels have to make money off every they sign these days so they can’t take risks on gut instinct. I’ve always thought people who say the charts are s**t are just old and bitter but I do think the charts are very safe at the moment. But you’ve only got to go on youtube to see how much great music is out there.

If a ‘A Grand Don’t Come for Free,’ Mike, what is the hardest you have ever worked for it?

The hardest I worked for money was a paper round. Music is probably second on the list.

Love love love the streets, and can’t wait to read the book, but when will we be seeing the D.O.T playing live?

We are rehearsing most of the time right now. We will begin touring at the end of summer. It’s very different for me as I’m just playing keyboards really.

Is there anything you had to leave out of the book that you were upset about? And will there be a sequel?

There wasn’t much left out of the book which is why some of it makes me really wince. Maybe in ten years time there will be a story of some film I made.

Who do you rate musically at the moment and what are you listening to?

I’ve been listening to a lot of club music lately because I’ve been DJing. It’s really changed how I make music. Even with the D.O.T. me and Rob started out making kind of radio music really but it’s kind of taken a new road recently a bit.

Making a concept album in ‘A Grand Don’t Come For Free’ was ambitious, but the risk was worth taking. Seeing as you’ve now delved into writing a memoir, would you ever be tempted to write fiction?

I’ve always been daring but sometimes it works and most of the time it doesn’t. I’m proud of when it has worked though.

You were one of the first of your generation to speak in your own voice and about real things – how important do you think authenticity is in music?

There’s a difference between authenticity and realism. I guess I made realism work at a time when it hadn’t worked for a while, but authenticity can come from the most overblown pantomime act if they know what they like and who they are.

What are your future plans about relaunching your ‘The Beats’ label?

‘The Beats’ is really fun. We are taking it a release at a time but it’s nice when you have that feeling that anything is possible.

The Streets have taken you a lot of places, and made you famous world wide. What was the highlight of your career? What was your favorite place to visit?

We did roskilde in 2008 which was unbelievable. The go low was 70,000 strong. Everyone came off stage in silence.

Who would you love to duet with?

I’m not really about performing now. That’s kind of what I’ve given up with the streets. I’d love to make a beat with bangalter though.

Click here to buy ‘The Story of The Streets’ by Mike Skinner for just £13.29 from Tesco Direct!

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22 Mar
2012

Got a question for Mike Skinner – it could win you a copy of his new book!


Biography, Competitions

With his 2002 album, Original Pirate Material, Mike Skinner established himself as an artist with that rare blend of popular appeal and critical acclaim. Heralded in the Guardian as “half  Dostoevksy… half Samuel Pepys”, Skinner shot to fame seemingly overnight and went on to release four more albums as The Streets, before calling it a day in 2011.

Now that he has a little more time on his hands, Skinner has diversified his output and committed the history of The Streets to paper, in the form of his new memoir, The Story of the Streets. In Skinner’s own words:

‘This book is going to try and get as close as possible to the full story of what informed the noise of The Streets. Obviously that’s something I should be fairly well-qualified to know about, and I’m going to be as honest as the publisher’s lawyers will allow.’

To mark the release of Mike’s new book, we’re going to be hosting a Q&A with him on our blog. If you’ve got a question and would like to be in with a chance of winning a copy of the The Story of the Streets – we have a few to give away, one of which is signed! - just leave your question in the comments and Mike will answer his favourites!

We look forward to reading your questions!

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