Serena Williams announces memoir, inks deal with Penguin Random House
The tennis legend has signed a two-book contract with PRH, announcing a memoir and a second, “inspirational” work.
Serena Williams is writing a memoir about her life “on and off the court,” according to a press release posted today (October 18) by Penguin Random House. In the same release, PRH writes that the memoir is the first of two books Williams will write for the publisher, per a new contract; the second will be an “inspirational” work in which she “will offer rules for living that draw on her experiences as a philanthropist and advocate, her career as an investment unicorn with Serena Ventures, and someone who has long sought to lift a diverse and emergent generation of young women whose aspirations are not confined to the court. “
The publication date and title of the forthcoming memoir have not been formally revealed. PRH’s press release attributes Williams with the following statement on the book:
“For so long, all I was focused on was winning, and I never sat down to look back and reflect on my life and career. Over the last year I’ve really enjoyed taking the time with my growing family to celebrate my accomplishments and explore my other passions. I couldn’t be at a more perfect place to be able to take on such a personal intimate project, and there’s no one I would rather do it with than the team at Random House.”
Elsewhere in the release, PRH writes that the book “will offer a full and open account of her remarkable life, from her childhood in Compton, California, learning to play with her mother and father, to her academy years in West Palm Beach and her decision to turn professional at age 14, to her rise and reign as the top women’s tennis player in the world – and one of the most accomplished athletes in history.
“Williams’ memoir will also be an open-hearted exploration of the experiences that have shaped her life, including overcoming scrutiny and attacks in a predominantly white and male-dominated sport, navigating devastating losses on and off the court, falling in love with tech entrepreneur Alexis Ohanian, celebrating body diversity and expanding the confines of style in sports and pop culture, bringing awareness to maternal health disparities, and being a devoted mother to her daughters, Olympia, and Adira,” the release continues.
The FADER has reached out to Serena Williams’ publicist for further information on the newly announced books. Read about how Serena Williams became the G.O.A.T. in Elena Bergeron’s fall 2016 FADER cover story on the tennis icon.