Bono’s Autobiography Announced: Surrender

Original Story by Aaron J. Sams (2022-05-10)

Bono’s autobiography has been officially announced. We’ve been sharing rumours shared with us about it for a couple of years now, but it’s official now, and it has a release date: November 1, 2022.

The book is called Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story and it will be published worldwide. A website for the upcoming book has been set up at surrendermemoir.com with all the information about the book, and the accompanying audiobook, narrated by Bono, as well as information where to pre-order the book now.

A graphic on the site in Bono’s handwriting reads “A book of how, who & a bit of why. A MEmoir WEmoir, luminous times with some luminous lives. Confessions of an artist, activist, arsehole, actualist”.

Each chapter is being titled after a U2 song. Thus the subtitle, 40 Songs, One Story. Bono has also created forty original drawings for Surrender which will appear throughout the book. It’s the first book written by Bono about his life.

A sample of the book, from the chapter “Out of Control” has been released as a preview video, featuring some of the original art used throughout the book. The video can be seen below.

There have also been rumours of an accompanying album of reinterpreted songs done by U2 during the lock down. That album will be sold separate from the book, but we are told that the projects are complementary. The album is expected to include 14-15 songs. (Think back and U2 by U2 was similarly accompanied by a compilation U218 Singles). The rumours of this new album by U2 of older songs reinterpreted has the album coming out in November as well. It however, has not been announced officially, so should still be considered a rumour at this point. The album may be titled Songs of Surrender. It is not expected that there will be new songs on this album, but there may be a single released of an older song to promote the album ahead of the album release.

We know that there will be slight differences between the hardcover formats of the book in Europe and North America. In North America (Knopf/Doubleday Canada) the book has 576 pages. It will be 228mm x 155mm in size. In the UK and Ireland (Hutchinson Heinemann) the book has 384 pages, and will be 240mm x 156mm in size. The content will be the same, but publishing format choices will make for a longer book in North America. There is also a large print softcover edition listed in some regions in North America, at 563 pages. Readers in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the USA, who are subscribers to U2.com should watch their email inboxes for a special offer, allowing you to order the book and get a 5 × 7 photograph as well.

Bono will be reading the book for the audio book. The audio book will be available as a digital download, as well as a CD set. The audiobook will be 12 hours in length, and for the CD release will be split among multiple discs.

A book tour of select cities may occur in the Fall to support the book. The content information on the newly launched site surrendermemoir.com lists “Information about Bono’s memoir Surrender including retailer links, videos, tour information, and more”.

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