Enter the literary realm of the incomparable Amy Winehouse as her personal book collection, filled with intimate and revealing traces of her life and artistry.
Amy Winehouse‘s personal book collection, which is set to hit the auction block at Catawiki, is causing a stir among literary and music enthusiasts alike. With experts estimating the priceless collection to be worth between €80,000 to €90,000, this unique lot of almost 230 books offers a captivating glimpse into the life and career of the legendary singer and songwriter through her personal reading choices.
From her school days to her rise to fame and career, Winehouse’s library reflects her fierce and passionate personality, with many books bearing the marks of her love, including coffee and tea stains, lipstick marks, unfinished song letters, doodles, and extensive personal notes.
Among the treasures in Winehouse’s collection are well-read favourites like Jackie Collins, “Hollywood Wives” to the dark noir of James Ellroy’s “LA Confidential,” poetic memoirs of Maya Angelou to the rebellious prose of Charles Bukowski’s “Ham on Rye,” Winehouse’s library is a captivating mix of genres and styles. With titles like “The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker: An Erotic Memoir” by Suzanne Portnoy and “Biker Bible: Bible for the Nations,” her collection is a fascinating testament to her eclectic tastes.
In addition to books from schools she attended, some with her own annotations, Winehouse’s collection also includes books inscribed to her, including one from her ex-husband Blake Fielder Civil, and books about or by other musicians who struggled with addiction, such as Jimi Hendrix, Boy George, and Anthony Kiedis. These books not only provide a biographical insight into Winehouse’s life, but also shed light on how her reading influenced her songwriting.
Beyond the literary value, Winehouse’s collection also offers a poignant and intimate look into her personal life. From her grandmother’s email penned on a bookmark to the guest list for a party written on the last page of a book, these books are imbued with traces of her daily life and experiences. Some books even bear ownership stamps from hospitals where Winehouse was once admitted, showcasing the raw and unfiltered reality of her struggles with addiction.
Mark Harrison, book expert at Catawiki, expressed excitement about the auction, stating, “This personal library manifests much more than Amy’s treasured love for books and literature, but many fragments of her daily life that not many got to witness.” Winehouse’s collection is a testament to her multifaceted personality, showcasing her fierce and passionate nature that resonated through her music and art.
This is the first time the singer songwriters entire collection has been up for auction as a whole, and at least for the last 12 months far, it has managed to stay that way, with the auction house Type Punch Matrix who was originally responsible for bringing the collection together, saying they had a fight on their hands to keep it that way, as they initially came up for sale in separate lots. Co-founder of Type Punch Matrix, Rebecca Romney commented last year “This was a collection that deserved, as much as possible, to stay together. Not only because they spoke biographically about Winehouse’s life, but also because they spoke to her work as an artist and as a writer.” Heres hoping it stays that way.
As fans and collectors eagerly await the auction, Winehouse’s book collection stands as a powerful reminder of her enduring legacy as one of the most indelible musical artists of the early 21st century. It offers up a rare glimpse into the intersection of her public, private, and creative lives, providing a deeper understanding of the woman behind the music and her insatiable love for literature.
Check out the complete list of Amy Winehouse’s Book Collection below (yep all 230 of them):
Amy Winehouse’s ART & DESIGN collection
– Crumb, R. : Book of Genesis. London Jonathan Cape 2009. HC with dj 1st. Candle wax spill on rear panel of dj
– Elvgren, Gil : The Complete Pin-Ups. Köln, Taschen, 2008. HC with dj. Remnants of maybe a coffee spill on front panel of dj. Commentary : “I like pin-up girls. I’m more of a boy than a girl. I’m not a lesbian, though — not before a Sambuca anyway.”
– Gombrich, E.H. : The Story of Art. Oxford Phaidon 1990. Stiff pictorial wraps
Expected edgewear and soiling, faint dampstaining along fore edge of first few leaves
– Johnson, Robert Flynn : Anonymous: Enigmatic Images from Unknown Photographers. London Thames & Hudson 2004? HC with dj. Jacket fairly soiled. Edgewear
– LaChapelle, David : Heaven to Hell. Köln, Taschen, 2006, HC. Binding worn – corner bumping and the text block shaken. Inscribed by LaChapelle: LaChapelle: “To Blake + Amy, love to you and a gorgeous future.” Commentary : LaChapelle directed Winehouse’s final video, for “Tears Dry on Their Own”
– Nourmand, Tony / Marsh, Graham : Exploitation Poster Art. London Aurum Press 2005. Stiff pictorial wraps (with flaps). Edgewear.
– Paris Apartments. teNeues Paperback. Part of first gather seems to be missing. Couple of other gathers are loose. Spine starting to crack in multiple places. Lower portion of spine ripped but present.
– Ranier, Chris : Ancient Marks: Sacred Origins of Tattoos and Body Marking. San Rafael, CA Earthware Editions 2006. Stiff pictorials wraps with flaps
Edgewear, soiling. Includes DVD tipped in on recto of rear wrap. Gift inscription to AW from members of the band, Cherry Ghost, who toured with her in Feb 2007. Their final show with her (according to their website’s “gigography”) was at Northumbria Uni on the same date as the inscription. Commentary : Winehouse’s tattoos were almost as famous as the singer herself. This title was inscribed as a gift to Winehouse by members of the band Cherry Ghost, who opened several dates for her in early 2007: “26th February 2007 / Hey Amy / Check the tats on this! Many thanks for having us on tour. love Cherry Ghost / Simon xxx Jim x Jay x Ben x Stone x.”
– Starbird, Soren: Solkaer Beat City. 2006. Printed wraps. Edgewear.
– Virtue, John : London Paintings .London National Gallery 2005. HC in dj. Book: edgwear, soiling, bumped corners. DJ: edgewear, soiling, bit of packing tape and what looks like a nail polish spill on front panel; rear panel is rubbed, stained, and mucky with some sort of fiber (pet hair?) stuck in the center. Also, long dark black hair in the gutter of the first page to the Intro
Amy Winehouse’s DRAMA & PERFORMING ARTS collection
– Ashman, Howard: Little Shop of Horrors .New York Samuel French Inc, ca. 1990s. Paperback. AW’s ownership signature. Numerous marginal notes and markings by AW. Commentary: Winehouse starred in a production of “Little Shop” at the Susi Earnshaw Theatre Shool (a performance that helped land her a walk-on role with National Opera). While Winehouse only attended the school for three years, the show would go on to have an enduring influence on the singer, from the doo-wop of the score tothe style of the back-up-singing Crystal, Ronnette, and Chiffon — all named in honor of musical figures who would become touchstones for Winehouse as well. This copy — marked “AMY’S COPY!” on the back cover and with an ownership signature inside (something she rarely did) — is extensively annotated by Winehouse (in the role of Mushnik), who additionally notes “I LOVE DRAMA!” on the first page.
– Bennett, Alan: History Boys. London Faber & Faber, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy
– Chekov, Anton Plays. London Methuen, ca 1990s. Paperback. Worn reading copy. Pretty profusely annotated throughout
– Hicks, Bill: Love All the People. London Constable & Robinson, 2004 Paperback. Reading copy.
– Miller, Arthur: Plays One. London Methuen Circa 1990s. Paperback. Worn. Stamps from Mount School Library. AW was a student there in the 90s. AW’s pink underlining and mariginal notes appear in Act 2 of View from the Bridge. Commentary : Two books carrying stamps from schools Winehouse attended. It was during grade school at Ashmore that Winehouse started her first musical group, Sweet ‘N’ Sour (inspired by Salt-N-Pepa). She enrolled at The Mount School for her final years of high school after her alleged expulsion from Sylvia Young.
– Miller, Arthur: A View from the Bridge & All My Sons. London Penguin; ca 1990s. Paperback. Reading copy. Stamps and sticker-style library card from Sylvia Young Theatre School, where AW was a student and (possibly) expelled. Underlining and marginal notes in Act 1 of View from the Bridge. Several leaves dog-earred almost in half. Commentary: This copy of Miller’s famous play is annotated by Winehouse while she was a student at the Sylvia Young Theatre School.
– Shaw, George Bernard: Plays. New York Signet, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy
– Smith, Ronn: Nothing But the Truth. New York Avon, 1997. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiling – either a spill or partial boot/shoe print on rear wrap?
– Steinmeyer, Jim: Hiding the Elephant. London Arrow, 2005. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiling, edgewear, creasing
Amy Winehouse’s EROTICA collection
– Crepax, Guido / [Pauline Réage/Anne Desclos]: L’Histoire d’O. Milan ES SRL. 1999. Pictorial wraps. Worn and soiled. Large abrasion/scuff on rear wrapper with
loss of image.
– Ebbutt, Blanche: Don’t For Wives. London A&C Black, 2007. HC. Corners bumped. Dampstain that goes through most of text block along lower foredge – tea? coffee?
– Friday, Nancy: Men in Love. London Arrow Books, ca 2000s. Paperback. Heavily worn/read.
– Pett, Norman / Freeman, J.H.G.: Misadvetures of Janes. London Titan Books, 2009. HC in dj. Some soiling and faint edgewear to dj.
– Portnoy, Suzanne: The Butcher, the Baker, the Candlestick Maker: An Erotic Memoir. London Virgin, 2006. Paperback. Reading copy. “BOGO 50%” sticker on front wrap.
– Yoe, Craig: Secret Identity: The Fetish Art of Superman’s Co-Creator. Joe Schuster New York,Abrams ComicArt, 2009. HC w/ printed boards – missing dj. Soiling, edgwear, remnants of candle wax on top edge near head of spine, page 11 dog-earred.
– Reage, Pauline: Story of O. New York Ballantine, ca 1980s. Paperback. Dampstaining, soiling.
– Strauss, Neil :The Game. Edinburgh Canongate, 2006. paperback. Edgewear, creasing to rear wrap. Borders “3 for 2” sticker on front wrap.
Amy Winehouse’s GRAPHIC NOVELS collection
– Abuli, Sanchez / Bernet, Jordi: Torpedo: Volume 3. San Diego IDW Publishing, 2011. HC w/ pictorial boards. Forbidden Planet price sticker on rear board. Commentary: Published in 2011, this would have been one of the last books Winehouse purchased. Released in the UK around April, Winehouse would die at her home on July 23rd. Unlike most books in the collection, it appears unread.
– Azzarello, Brian / Risso, Eduardo: 100 Bullets: Wilt. New York Vertigo, 2009. TPB #13. Reading copy. Forbidden Planet sticker on rear wrap.
– Bendis, Brian: Michael Jinx: The Definitive Collection Orange, CA Image Comics, 2001. Paperback. Edgwear, Forbidden Planet price sticker, otherwise seems unread.
– Brunetti, Ivan (ed.): Anthology of Graphic Fictions, Cartoons, and True Stories. New Haven Yale UP, 2006. Well read. Outer joints badly split and starting to detach (from the bottom –> up). Text block loose internally at spine. Pen scrawls here and there throughout. Dampstaining from beverage spill along top edge, seeping down text block in certain places. Commentary: “I read all sorts of stuff, but this week I bought an anthology of graphic fiction […] I also bought Alexei Sayle’s Barcelona Plates, which I’m looking forward to reading. I could spend a lot of time in bookshops just browsing.” — GUARDIAN interview, 2007
– Burns, Charles : Black Hole. London Jonathan Cape, 2005. HC with dj. Candle wax remnants at head of spine. Adhesive (most likely) bleed through stain along both front and rear hinges
– Campbell, Eddie: Alec: The Years Have Pants. Marietta GA Top Shelf Productions, 2009. HC. Soiling, edgewear, bumping at corners, but seems unread
– Clem, Mitch: Nothing Nice to Say. Milwakie, OR Dark Horse Books, 2008. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear, light bumping, remnants of price sticker on front wrap.
– Crepax, Guido: Valentina en la Estufa. Barcelona Editorial Lumen, 1982. HC w/ pictorial boards. Edgewear, soling, bad split between pp 20-21. Text block seems to have come come away from spine internally.
– Crusty Comix. 2008, chapbook/zine. Mostly in French. Website that’s noted for publisher now defunct.
– B, David: Epileptic. New York Pantheon, 2005. Stiff pictorial wraps w/ flaps. Soiling, edgewear
– Ennis, Garth / McCrea, John: The Boys: Highland Laddie. Runnemeade, NJ Dynamite, 2011. Stiff pictorial wraps. Forbidden Planet price sticker on rear panel
– Gaiman, Neil: Sandman: Preludes & Nocturnes. London Titan Books, 1995. Stiff pictorial wraps. General soiling, scuffing. Possibly used as a coaster at some point (partial ring on front wrap).
– Hernandez Brothers: Love & Rockets: New Stories, No. 2. Seattle Fantagraphics Books, 2009. Stiff pictorial wraps. Light edgewear. Mega City Comics price sticker on rear wrap. Commentary: “I love graphic novels and cartoons,” Winehouse once
said in an interview. And indeed, at almost a quarter of all the titles in the collection, no single genre is more strongly represented than graphic novels. No writer has more titles in her library than the Hernandez Brothers, authors of the long-running series LOVE AND ROCKETS.
– Hernandez Brothers: Love & Rockets: New Stories, No. 1. Seattle Fantagraphics Books, 2008. Stiff pictorial wraps. Very light corner bumping
– Hernandez, Gilbert: High Soft Lisp. Seattle Fantagraphics Books, 2010. Stiff pictorial wraps
– Hernandez, Gilbert: Luba. Seattle Fantagraphics Books, 2009. HC with dj. Remnants of candle wax at head of spine on both dj and cloth, as well as some wax spots down the spine.
– Hernandez, Gilbert: Beyond Palomar (Love & Rockets). London Titan Books, 2008. Stiff pictorial wraps. Edgewear, creasing to front wrap
– Hernandez, Gilbert: Chance in Hell. Seattle Fantagraphics Books, 2007. HC with dj. Edgewear.
– Hernandez, Gilbert: Heartbreak Soup. Seattle Fantagraphics Books, 2007. Stiff Pictorial wraps. Reading copy
– Hernandez, Gilbert: Human Diastrophism. London Titan Books. 2007. Stiff pictorial wraps. Slightly cocked, front wrap creased, edgewear/soiling.
– Hernandez, Gilbert: Sloth. New York Vertigo, 2006. Stiff pictorial wraps. Spot of toning/yellowing to bottom edge. Forbidden Planet price sticker on front wrap.
– Hernandez, Gilbert: Sloth. New York Vertigo, 2006. HC with pictorial boards. Corners very bumped.
– Hernandez, Gilbert: Blood of Palomar (Love & Rockets). Seattle Fantagraphics Books, 2002. Pictorial wraps. Edgewear. Spine and rear edge/wrap of spine coated in what looks like candle wax. Forbidden Planet price sticker on front wrap
– Hernandez, Gilbert: Luba In America (Love & Rockets). Seattle Fantagraphics Books, 2001. Pictorial wraps. Edgewear, some soiling. Forbidden Planet price sticker on rear wrap
– Hernandez, Jaime: Locas II: Maggie, Hopey, Ray .Seattle Fantagraphics Books, 2009. HC w/ dj. Some light edgewear but otherwise seems unread and looks pretty nice.
– Hernandez, Jaime: The Education of Hopey Glass (Love & Rockets). Seattle Fantagraphics Books, 2008. HC, pictorial boards. Light bumping to corners
– Hernandez, Jaime: Perla La Loca (Love & Rockets). London Titan Books, 2008. Pictorial wraps. Light soiling top, bottom, and fore egde. Small tacky spots on lower portion of rear wrap near spine.
– Hernandez, Jaime: Maggie the Mechanic. London Titan Books, 2007. Stiff pictorial wraps. Soiling to edges. Price sticker on front wrap.
– Hernandez Los Bros: Amor y Cohetes. London Titan Books, 2008. Stiff pictorial wraps. Edgewear
– Kirkman, Robert / Moore, Tony: The Walking Dead: Vol 1, Days Gone Bye. Berkeley, CA Image Comics, 2008. Stiff pictorial wraps. Slight crease at top of fore-edge on front wrap. Bit of soiling at head of spine.
– Lockpez, Inverna / Haspiel, Dean: Cuba My Revolution. New York Vertigo, 2010. HC with dj. Forbidden Plant price sticker on front panel of dj
– Manara, Milo / Fellini, Frederico : Le Opere: Viaggio a Tulum. Milan Il Sole 24 Ore, 2006. HC with dj. Edgewear, closed tear head of spine. Remnants of candle wax spill on front panel of dj.
– Moore, Alan: Albion La Jolla, CA Albion 2007. Stiff pictorial wraps. Soiling, edgewear, Forbidden Planet price sticker on front wrap, Titan Books price sticker on rear wrap.
– Moore, Alan: Watchmen. London Titan Books ,2007. Pictorial wraps. Soiling, edgewear. Partial magazine page with a recipe for “[Someone]’s Famous Cocoa Tea” used as a bookmark at end of Chapter VI.
– Moore, Alan: V for Vendetta. London Titan Books, 2005. Stiff pictorial wraps. Seemingly unread. In comic sleeve w/ Mega City Comics price sticker. A second copy of this title was present in the collection. It has been removed for individual sale
– Niles, Steve / Chamberlain, Kody: 30 Days of Night: Bloodsucker Tales. San Diego IDW Publishin, 2005. HC, pictorial boards. Forbidden Plant price sticker on front board
– Niles, Steve / Templesmith, Ben: 30 Days of Night: Return to Barrow. San Diego IDW Publishing, 2004. HC, pictorial boards. Edgewear, light bumping at lower corners. Forbidden Plant price sticker on front board
– Rivera, Jonathan / DeStefano, Nick: Heartbreak. New Jersey 1130 Studios, 2007. Paperback.
– Simmonds, Posy: Tamara Drewe. London Jonathan Cape, 2009. Stiff pictorial wraps. Edgewear, light soiling and bumping. Candle wax drips on top edge at spine head.
– Thompson, Craig: Good-Bye, Chunky Rice. New York Pantheon Books, 2004.
Pictorial wraps (w/flaps). General soiling, especially along spine both front and back
– Tomine, Adrian: Shortcomings. London Faber & Faber, 2007. HC in dj. Chunks of wax at head of spine. Soiling, edgewear.
– Torres, Alissa / Choi, Sungyoon: American Widow. New York Villard, 2008. HC in dj. Soiling to dj. Spots here and there that look like candle wax.
– Vaughan, Brian/Guerra, Pia: Y: The Last Man, One Small Step. New York Vertigo, 2004. Stiff pictorial wraps. Soiling, edgewear, Forbidden Planet price sticker on rear wrap.
– Vaughan, Brian/Guerra, Pia: Y: The Last Man. New York Vertigo, 2003. Stiff pictorial wraps. Cocked from reading. Forbidden Planet price sticker on rear wrap
– Vaughan, Brian/Guerra, Pia: Y: The Last Man, Cycles. New York Vertigo, 2003. Stiff pictorial wraps. Soiling, edgewear, Forbidden Planet price sticker on rear wrap.
– Willingham, Bill: Fables: Legends in Exile. New York Vertigo, 2002. Stiff pictorial wraps. General edgewear. Also, front hinge and first leaf have slightly separated from each other. Small spots of leaf detachment. (Basically, spots of the glue gave out)
Amy Winehouse’s HEALTH & STYLE collection
– Gould, Jan: Yoga for Health & Beauty. London Thorsons, 1974. Stiff pictorial wraps. Reading copy. Few detached leaves. Checkout card from Hackney Children’s Libraries affixed to FFEP.
– Iyengar, BKS: Light On Yoga. London Unwin, 1982. Paperback. Very worn.
– Jones, Sally / Dupont, Ellen: Ten Minute Toning Bath. UK Parragon, 2004. Stiff pictorial wraps (with flaps). Reading copy
– Joshi, Nish: Joshi’s Holistic Detox. London Hodder Mobius 2006, Paperback. Reading copy.
– Knight, India / Thomas, Neri: Neri’s & India’s Idiot-Proof Diet. London Penguin, 2008. Reading copy. Commentary: According to a posthumous profile and interview in THE GUARDIAN with Winehouse’s brother Alex, “Many of her problems predated her sudden rise to fame. She developed bulimia in her late teens and the eating disorder dogged her for the rest of her life. Alex remembers her at the age of 17 hanging out with a group of girls who ‘were all doing it. They’d put loads of rich sauces on their food, scarf it down and throw it up. They stopped doing it, but Amy never really did… We all knew she was doing it, but it’s almost impossible [to tackle] especially if you’re not talking about it. It’s a real dark, dark issue.’” In a separate interview her brother elaborated: “She suffered from bulimia very badly. That’s not, like, a revelation — you knew just by looking at her […] She would have died eventually, the way she was going, but what really killed her was the bulimia.
– Stover, Laren: The Bombshell Manual of Style. New York Hyperion, 2001. HC w/ dj. Dj is worn and on the wrong side of filthy. Book edgeworn and soiled.
– Usborne Guide. Make Your Own Jewellery. London Usborne, 1990. Stiff pictorial wraps
Amy Winehouse’s INSPIRATION & SPIRITUALITY collection
– Biker Bible. Bible for the Nations, 2007?. Paperback. Coating peeling up from front wrap. First couple leaves partially detached. Gift inscription to AW from [?], 2008.
– Grad, Marcia: The Princess Who Belived in Fairy Tales. Chatsworth, CA WIlshire Book Co., 1995. Pictorial wraps. Large dampstain from tea/coffee/soda on both wraps. Gift inscription to AW from a woman named Jo Sollinger, who lists herself (on Twitter) as a “Naturopath, Nutritionist, Holistic therapist, Iridologyst, Advanced Massage Expert, Cleanse/Detox Plans.” Inscription: “Dear Amy: ‘Here is a very special book that will guide you lovingly into a new wat of thinking about yourself and your life so that the future will be filled with hope and love and song.’ -Og Mandino / Lots of love & light / Jo Sollinger x”
– Landvik, Lorna: Welcome to the Great Mysterious. London Bantam, 2005. paperback. Reading copy. soiling, edgewear.
– Morgan, Sally: My Psychic Life. London Penguin, 2008. Paperback. Seems unread, though covers are lightly soiled.
– Pausch, Randy: The Last Lecture. New York Hyperion, 2008. HC with dj. Seems unread.
– Powers, John: Concise Encyclopedia of Buddhism. Oxford OneWorld, 2000. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiled
– Shaw, Adam: So, Your Girlfriend’s a Vegetarian? Cambridgeshire Lantern Tower, 2009. Paparback. Inscribed to AW: “Dear Cousin Amy / Hope you enjoy the book! / Love Adam / [author’s signature].”
– Tuan, Laura: Cards of Love (Booklet only, no deck). Turino Lo Scarabeo, 2006. Paperback. Light edgwear and a wee bit of yellowing to the cardstock wraps. Published by “the luxury Milan shop 10 Corso Como.”
Amy Winehouse’s LITERATURE & FICTION collection
– Amis, Kingsley: Stanley and the Women. Middlesex Penguin, ca 1980s. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiling, edgewear, grubby. Handwritten pencil on FFEP.
– Arnott, Jake: truecrime. London Sceptre/Hodder & Stoughton, 2003. Paperback. Reading copy. Two copies of this book were present in the collection. The second has been removed for individual sale. Commentary: This was one of AW’s father’s favorite writers
– Angelou, Maya: Gather Together in My Name. London Virago, Late 90s. Paperback. Reading copy
– Archer, Jeffrey / “FF 8282”: A Prison Diary. London Macmillan, 2002. HC w/ dj. Edgewear, slightly cocked. Price sticker on front panel of dj.
Archer, Jeffrey: To Cut a Long Story Short. London Harper Collins, 2000. HC with dj. Soiling, edgewear.
– Arnott, Jake: The Long Firm. London Sceptre/Hodder & Stoughton, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy
– Bland, Eleanor Taylor: Keep Still. New York St. Martin’s, 1998. Paperback. Reading copy. Smells like perfume. Commentary: This book bears the stamp of “Tapion Hospital” on St. Lucia, where Winehouse was reportedly taken several
times during her 2008-2009 stay on the island with friend Blake Wood.
– Bukowski, Charles: Ham on Rye. Edinburgh Canongate, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Brookmyre, Christopher: One Fine Day in the Middle of the Night. London Abacus , Late 2000s. Paperback. Edgewear, soiling, corners bumped. Price sticker on front wrap.
– Bukowski, Charles: Women. London Virgin, 2003. Paperback. Soling, edgewear, dampstaining. Likely read in bathtub.
– Bulgakov, Mikhail: The Master and Margarita. London Vintage, ca 2000s. Paperback. Likely dropped in the bath. Commentary: Many of Winehouse’s books were well loved, showing evidence of multiple readings, coffee and tea stains, pages torn out and used as notes, etc. Here, this book was likely read in the bathtub (something the collection suggests she did regularly); the book below it (and numerous others) shows candlewax on the spine.
– Bushnell, Candance: Trading Up. New York Hyperion, 2003. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Camus, Albert: The Plague. London Penguin, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Carey, Peter: Theft. London Faber & Faber, 2007. Paperback. Reading copy. Commentary: This book is inscribed to Winehouse from her then- husband/-boyfriend Blake Fielder-Civil referencing her famous beehive hairdo. It’s the only book in the collection inscribed by Fielder-Civil.
– Carey, Peter: His Illegal Self. London Faber & Faber, 2008. HC with dj. Soiling, edgewear. On dj: small cigarette ash burn on front panel, handful of small brown splash spots, wax residue on rear panel, and a few unidentifable stains.
– Cezair-Thompson, Margaret: The Pirate’s Daughter. London Headline Review, Late 2000s. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear, dampstaining.
– Chabon, Michael: Adventures of Kavalier and Clay. London Harper, 2008. Paperback. Bathtub book. Evidence of mold.
– Cody, Liza: Gimme More. London Bloomsbury, 2001. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiling, spots of candle wax.
– Collins, Jackie: Dangerous Kisses. London Macmillan, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Considerable edgewear and some splits at corners of spine. Half title (following Acknowledgments page) is mostly covered in doodled hearts and notes about going to the movies, Warner Village 1 / Odeon… Camden Sunday / return of the…” Maybe Return of the King (2003)? Commentary: Winehouse doodling (hearts were a favorite) in her copy of a Jackie Collins novel (see next case). She seems to be making plans to see a movie, likely “RETURN OF THE [KING].” The Warner and Odeon are both London movie theaters.
– Collins, Jackie: Lovers and Gamblers. London Pan Books, Late 1990s. Paperback. Reading copy. Considerable edgewear and some splits at corners of spine. Commentary: “Amy gave off a feeling of being slightly ashamed about how intelligent she really was. She’d have tons of Jackie Collins novels lying around the flat, but would hide her Dostoyevsky collection in a cupboard.” — her brother, Alex Winehouse, from “Amy Winehouse: A Family Portrait,” a 2015 exhibition at the Jewish Museum of London.
– Collins, Jackie: Chances. London Pan Books, ca 1990s. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear, creasing to wraps.
– Collins, Jackie: Hollywood Husbands. London Pan Books, ca 1990s. Paperback. Reading copy. Considerable edgewear and some splits at corners of spine.
– Collins, Jackie: Hollywood Wives. New York Pocket Books, ca 1990s. Paperback. Reading copy. Edgewear, creasing, and some splits at corners of spine.
– Collins, Jackie: Hollywood Wives: The New Generation. London Simon & Schuster, 2001. HC with dj. Reading copy. Soiling, edgewear, dampstaining. Another bathtub book?
– Collins, Jackie: Hollywood Husbands. New York Simon & Schuster, 1986. HC with dj. Very worn. Dampstaining, soiling, front panel of jacket has a closed tear/rip that runs halfway down. Text block split at p 278/9.
– Corben, Harlan: Gone for Good. New York Dell, Early 2000s. Paperback. Bathtub book.
– De Quincey, Thomas: On Murder. London OneWorld Classics, 2009. HC with dj. Soiled, scuffed, single deep ding along top and bottom edges of front board. Damping. First third or so cocked.
– Ellroy, James: LA Confidential. London Arrow Books, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Ellroy, James: Cold Six Thousand. London Arrow Books, 2002. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Fitzgerald, F. Scott: Curious Case of Benjamin Bitton. London Penguin, Late 2000s. Paperback. Light soiling, edgewear, creasing at hinge.
– Foer, Jonathan: Safran Everything is Illuminated. London Penguin, ca 2000s. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear.
– Frey, James: My Friend Leonard. New York Riverhead Books, ca 2000s. HC with dj. Soiling, edgewear. Closed tear to rear panel of dj.
– Gilmore, Prof. J. H. Wedlock: Selections from Best English and American Poets. Rochester NY Scranton, Wetmore & Co. 1881. The only portion of the binding that remains is about 2/3 of the cloth spine. Otherwise, text block only, likely missing pages. 1907 Marriage license for Mr. William Smith and Ms. Alice Moore (of Bath NY) tipped in at title page. No apparent connection to AW’s family. Commentary: The oldest book in the collection, it is arguably also the one in the worst condition. Despite these anomolies, however, its meaning to Winehouse is unclear. Perhaps it belonged at one time to her grandmother. Perhaps it was a gift when Winehouse was married. Perhaps she simply like it.
– Ginsberg, Allen: Howl, Kaddish, and Other Poems. London Penguin, Late 2000s. Paperback. Dampstaining throughout. On second page of WCW’s intro, AW has notes, working out lyrics. First page of “Howl” includes her rhyming list, also a phone number and other notes. Page 3 of “Howl,” handwritten address, same pen as previous. Underlining on page 4 and a couple of marginal notes (in two different inks) on page 5. Commentary: This copy of Allen Ginsberg’s HOWL contains several pages of Winehouse’s notes, lines, and a list of rhyming words — all apparently for a never-realized song. Winehouse probably read this book on her 2008/09 trip to St. Lucia with friend and photographer Blake Wood. Wood mentions having the title with them in the photobook dedicated to Winehouse published in 2018 by Taschen.
– Gold, Glen David: Carter Beats the Devil. London Sceptre/Hodder & Stoughton, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Commentary: In a 2007 interview with THE GUARDIAN, Winehouse said, “I never travel without a good book. I read a lot when I’m traveling and always have a couple of books on the go […] this week I bought […] another copy of Carter Beats the Devil by Glen David Gold — a great novel.” A bookmark is laid in on which Winehouse has written her beloved grandmother’s email. Cynthia Gordon Winehouse would pass away in 2006; afterwards, Winehouse would get one of her most iconic tattoos, a classic pin-up inspired by her grandmother. Winehouse was buried with her grandmother in 2011
– Gregory, Philipa: The Other Boelyn Girl. London Harper Collins, Early 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Hiaasen, Carl: Strip Tease. London Pan Books, Late 1990s. Paperback. Reading copy. Dampstaining.
– Homes, A.M.: This Book Will Save Your Life. London Granta, Late 2000s. Paperback. Bathtub book.
– Hosseini, Khaled: A Thousand Splendid Suns. London Bloomsbury, Late 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Remnants of award sticker on front wrap
– Houellebecq, Michel: Atomised. London Vintage, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Houellebecq, Michel: Platform. London Vintage, 2003. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiling, edgewear.
– Jakubowski, Maxim (ed.): Mammoth Book of Pulp Fiction. London Robinson, Late 1990s. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear, creasing, spine split inside, few leaves
coming loose.
– Jewell, Lisa: Ralph’s Party. London Penguin, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Front wrap coming away at foot of spine
– Joso, Jayne: Soothing Music for Stray Cats. Somewhere in Wales Alcemia, 2009. Pictorial wraps. Impersonal inscription from author on FFEP. Front wrap is esp grubby. Edgewear, soiling, bumping.
– Joyce, James: Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. Hertfordshire Wordsworth Classics, ca 1990s. Paperback. Reading copy. White paint spatter and smudge on upper part of rear wrap.
– Lawrence, D.H.: The Virgin and the Gipsy. London Penguin, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Leonard, Elmore: Be Cool. London Penguin, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Commentary: Winehouse clearly loved popular novels. Harlan Coben, Tom Wolfe, Candice Bushnell, James Ellroy, Sidney Sheldon, Carl Hiaasen, and Elmore Leonard are all
represented in the collection. However, BE COOL, Leonard’s followup to GET SHORTY and set in the music industry, would likely have been of particular
interest.
– Leonard, Elmore: Cuba Libre. London Penguin, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Leonard, Elmore: Pagan Babies. New York Dell, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Lines, Kathleen (ed): The Haunted and the Haunters. London Heinemann Educational Books, 1978. HC with pictorial front board. Considerable edgewear, soiling. Ashmole School stamp on front pastedown. AW was a student there.
– Litt, Toby: Beatniks. London Penguin, 2004. Paparback. Reading copy. Edgewear.
– Martin, Steve: Shop Girl. New York Hyperion, ca 2000s. Paperback with flaps. Reading copy.
– Maupin, Armistead: Babycakes. London Black Swan, Early 90s. Paperback. Reading copy. Spine and rear wrap esp grimey. Commentary: The only novelist with more titles in the collection than Armistead Maupin was Jackie Collins. The interest apparently went two ways: Maupin would write references to Winehouse into his 2010 novel MARY ANN IN AUTUMN.
– Maupin, Armistead: Further Tales of the City. London Black Swan, 1995. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Maupin, Armistead: More Tales of the City. London Corgi Books, 1988. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Maupin, Armistead: Significant Others. London Black Swan, 1993. Paperback. Reading copy.
– McGrath, Patrick: Asylum New York Vintage, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Morrison, Grant: Filth. New York Vertigo, 2004. Paperback. Soiled, edgewear. Titan Books price sticker on rear wrap.
– Murrary, John: Last Pint in England. London Pen Press, 2006. HC with dj. Soiling and edgewear.
– Nabokov, Vladimir: Speak, Memory. New York Everyman’s Library/Knopf, ca 2000s. HC. Soiling to edges. Soiling to cloth of both boards.
– Nabokov, Vladimir: Stories of Vladimir Nabokov. New York Vintage, Late 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Price sticker on rear wrap. Bookmark from Daunt Books for Travellers in London.
– Nabokov, Vladimir: The Original Laura. London Penguin. 2009?.HC w/ dj in original shrinkwrap. Unread. In original shrinkwrap.
– Neate, Patrick: The London Pigeon Wars. London Penguin, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiling, edgewear, well-read.
– Niffenegger, Audrey: Time Traveler’s Wife. London Vintage, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Palahniuk, Chuck: Lullaby. London Vintage, ca 2000s.Paperback. Reading copy.
– Rhys, Jean: Wide Sargasso Sea. London Penguin, ca 2000s . Paperback. Seems unread. Postcard of a Joseph Southall painting(“Parasols, Southwold, 1923) laid in at half title following intro.
– Rowling, J.K.: HP & the Half-Blood Prince. London Bloomsbury, 2005. HC in dj. Adult edition (different jacket design). Slightly cocked. Price-clipped. Soiling, edgewear. Commentary: Winehouse’s teen years coincided with the height of the Harry Potter phenomenon. This penultimate installment is the “adult” version, with a more mature cover design, published in 2005.
– Salinger, J.D.: Catcher in the Rye. London Penguin, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Commentary: Salinger was one of Winehouse’s favorite writers. Not only did she own all of his books (sometimes more than one copy), but according to biographer Susana Monteagudo, Winehouse had read CATCHER by the time she was 12
– Salinger, J.D.: Franny and Zooe. London Penguin, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Salinger, J.D.: Nine Stories. New York Little, Brown, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Spine creased. Price sticker on rear wrap. Winehouse owned two copies of this book. The second copy has been removed from the collection for individual sale.
– Salinger, J.D.: Raise High the Roof Beam, Carpenters & Seymour. An Introduction. London Penguin, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy
– Sayles, Alexei. Barcelona Plates. London Sceptre/Hodder & Stoughton, 2007. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiling, edgewear. Rear wrap particularly grubby. Commentary: “I read all sorts of stuff, but this week I bought an anthology of graphic fiction […] I also bought Alexei Sayle’s Barcelona Plates, which I’m looking forward to reading. I could spend a lot of time in bookshops just browsing.” — GUARDIAN interview, 2007
– Sedaris, David: Dress Your Family in Corduroy and Denim. New York Little Brown, 2004. HC in dj. Soiling, edgewear. Price sticker on rear panel of the dj. Top edge very soiled and dusty
– Shakespeare: MacBeth. London Penguin, ca late 1990s. Paperback. Reading copy
– Sheldon, Sidney: Windmills of the Gods. New York Grand Central Publishing, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Shem, Samuel: The House of God. London Black Swan, 1990s?. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear, spine split badly inside. Pages loose, roughly 40 or so pages missing entirely.
– St Aubyn, Edward: Mother’s Milk. London Picador, 2007. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiling, edgewear.
– Stahl, Jerry: I, Fatty. London Allison & Busby Limited, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Süskind, Patrick: Perfume. London Penguin, ca 2000s. Paperback. Unread reading copy.
– Updike, John: A Rabbit. Omnibus London Penguin, ca 1990s. Paperback. I
Includes Run, Redux, and Rich, but not At Rest or later novella. Soiling, edgewear, ink(?) stains, most of lower portion of rear wrap ripped away and missing.
– Vasquez, Juan Gabriel: The Informers. London Bloomsbury, 2009. Paperback. Edgewear, bumping, creasing, but appears largely unread. Bookmark from Daunt Books for Travellers (London) laid in.
– Wolfe, Tom: Bonfire of the Vanities. London Picador, 2002. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Zailckas, Koren: Smashed, Growing Up a Drunk Girl. London Ebury Press, 2006. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiling, edgewear, upper right corner uniformly curled upwards.
– Zigman, Laura: Her. London Arrow ,2003. Paperback. Reading copy. Price stick at foot of spine.Reading copy. Price stick at foot of spine.
Amy Winehouse’s MOVIES & FILM collection
– Aperlo, Peter: Watchmen: The Film Companion. London Titan Books, 2009. HC w/ dj. Edgewear, soiling. Spine split between last leave of acknowledgements and first page, couple of leaves partially detached.
– Biskind, Peter: Seeing Is Believing. London Bloomsbury, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Gift inscription to AW: “27.7.02 / To Amy Bunny, / On the occasion of / becoming an honorary / Northerner. / Much love, / Chris xx.” Commentary: This inscription is probably from Winehouse’s “first serious boyfriend” Chris Taylor, whom she was dating at the time of the inscription when Amy had just moved into a new apartment in the northern London neighborhood of Finchley. Chris was reportedly the subject of Winehouse’s hit “Stronger Than Me” from her debut album. “Bunny” was a nickname of Winehouse’s, one she often used online.
– Bosworth, Patricia. Marlon Brando. London Weidenfeld & Nicholson, 2001. HC with dj. Little edgwear to book but jacket is covered in nail polish splotches, a few flecks of wax, and general edgewear/soiling.
– Grubb, Kevin Boyd: Razzle Dazzle: Life and Work of Bob Fosse. New York St. Martin’s, 1989. HC with dj. Edgewear, soiling, some water spots. Gift inscription in upper corner of FFEP (“To Dad, with all our love”), but almost certainly not AW’s. Commentary: she began having her first real professional successes), Winehouse ran a Yahoo group called “bunnysvintagemovies” devoted to classic MGM films —
like the ones Bob Fosse directed for the studio.
– Kashner, Sam / MacNair, Jennifer: The Bad and the Beautiful. New York Norton, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Miller, Frank / Rodriguez, Robert: Sin City: The Making of the Movie. US Troublemaker Publishing. 2005. HC, pictorial boards. Edgewear, corner bumps. White candle wax spill on front board, which has warped the board’s coating a bit. Verso of FFEP has come away from inner hinge, so appears split but really isn’t. Pp 127-130 torn in half.
– Walker, John: Halliwell’s Who’s Who in the Movies. London Harper Collins, 2001. Paperback
– Walker, John: Halliwell’s Film Video & DVD Guide 2004. London Harper Collins, 2004. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear, bit grubby (esp rear wrap). Rear wrap
separated at foot of spine. Dampstaining on bottom edge of rear wrap and last several pages.
Amy Winehouse’s MUSIC collection
– Booker, Cedella: Bob Marley: An Intimate Portrait by His Mother. London Penguin, 1997. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear, creasing esp to front wrap. Commentary: Winehouse was a huge fan of reggae and ska, often including covers in her live sets. She worked with one of Bob Marley’s guitarists (Earl Chinna Smith) on her debut album, FRANK. She was reportedly hoping to record her followup to BACK TO BLACK in Jamaica with Marley’s son Damian as producer.
– Boy George: Straight. London Arrow Books, 2007. Paperback. Edgewear, soiling. Spine split between last leave of acknowledgements and first page, couple of leaves partially detached. Commentary: Both Boy George and Blur’s Alex James, who each battled their own addictions, publicly reached out to Winehouse during her life. Boy George even penned in 2009 a song for the singer (“Your Pain Makes a Beautiful Sound”). Indeed, many of the books in the collection suggest — like many of her songs — that Winehouse was under no illusions about her demons
– Decibel. Penguin Anthology. London Penguin, 2006. Paperback. Reading copy. Corners bumped.
– Hanson, Matt: Reinventing Music Video. Mies, Switzerland RotoVision, 2006.
Stiff pictorial wraps (with flaps). Edgewear, little bumping at corners. Commentary: REINVENTING MUSIC VIDEO came out the same year as BACK TO BLACK. Winehouse would go on to release six videos for the album between late 2006 and early 2008. Phil Griffin directed three of these. A fourth directed by Griffin was planned (“Love Is A Losing Game”), but Winehouse failed to show for the scheduled shooting and two alternate videos were released instead, using live performance footage and photographs. The final video, for “Tears Dry On Their Own,” was directed by famed photographer Dave LaChapelle, who inscribed his 2006 photobook (right) to the singer and her then-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil.
– James, Alex: Bit of a Blur. London Abacus, 2008, Paperback. Reading copy. Appears unread.
– Kahn, Ashley: Kind of Blue. London Granta, Early 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Edgewear, creasing, bumping
– Kelly, Kitty: Frank Sinatra: His Way. Commentary: Sinatra was a huge influence on Winehouse. Indeed, she named her debut album FRANK in no small part after Sinatra. This book, and the three other Sinatra biographies listed here was displayed at London’s Design Museum exhibition “Amy: Beyond the Stage” through April 2022
– Kiedis, Anthony. Scar Tissue. London TimeWarner, 2005. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear. Tea or coffee spilled across front wrap, which soaked through to the first 10-20 pp.
– Klosterman, Chuck: Killing Yourself to Live. London Faber & Faber, 2006. HC with dj. Light edgewear. Soiling. Small closed tear on top of rear dj panel. Commentary: TO LIVE, originally released in 2005, but not published in the UK until 2006, the same year as BACK TO BLACK, follows the writer as he travels across the US visiting “the most famous rock-n-roll death sites.” Winehouse’s copy appears not only well read, but contains an unmistakable red lipstick SWAK on page 71.
– Lee, Peggy: Miss Peggy Lee: An Autobiography. London Bloomsbury, 2002. Paperback. Reading copy. Edgewear, soiling, bumping
– Madonna: The Style Book. London Omnibus Press, 1999. Stiff pictorial wraps. Edgewear, soiling, bumping and curling at corners.
– McCutcheon, Martine: Who Does She Think She Is? My Autobiography. London Century, 2000. HC w/ dj. Soiling, edgewear, otherwise looks unread.
– McDermott, John / Kramer, Eddie Hendrix: Setting the Record Straight. London Warner, Late 90s. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear, spine creasing that lines up photo sections. Gift inscription: “To Jude / from Nick / Oct 96 / xx.” Likely a book AW bought used.
– Rowley, Eddie: Westlife: On Tour. London Ebury Press, 2001. HC w/ dj. Soiling, edgewear, otherwise looks unread.
– Salewicz, Chris: Bob Marley: The Untold Story. London Harper, 2010. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiling, edgewear. Creasing along spine that corresponded to photo sections.
– Sinatra, Nancy. Frank Sinatra: An American Legend. Commentary: This book, and the three other Sinatra biographies listed here, was on display at London’s Design Museum exhibition “Amy: Beyond the Stage” through April 2022.
– Sullivan, Randall: LAbyrinth, Corruption and Vice in the LAPD: The truth behind the murders of Tupac Shakur and Biggie Smalls. Edinburgh Canongate, 2002. Paperback. Some edgewear and soiling, but seems mostly unread.
– Taraborrelli, J. Randy: Madonna: An Intimate Biography. London Sidgwick & Jackson, 2001 HC w/ dj. Edgewear, dj soiled and a bit grubby. Commentary: “I listened to Madonna’s Immaculate Collection every day until I was about 11,” Winehouse once told an interviewer. But she also later told THE MIRROR:
“[Madonna]’s an old lady. She can’t shock any more. She should get a nice band, just stand in front of them and fucking sing.”
– Tosches, Nick: Dino: Living High in the Dirty Business of Dreams. London Vintage,
Early 2000s. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear. Spine esp creased at photo sections
– Willoughby, Bob Sinatra: An Intimate Collection. Commentary: This book, and the three other Sinatra biographies listed here, was on display at London’s Design Museum exhibition “Amy: Beyond the Stage” through April 2022.
– Wilson, Earl: Sinatra. Commentary: This book, and the three other Sinatra biographies listed here, was on display at London’s Design Museum exhibition “Amy: Beyond the Stage” through April 2022.
Amy Winehouse’s NONFICTION & MEMOIR collection
– Boyd, Pattie: Wonderful Today. London Headline Review, 2007. HC with dj. Reading copy. Soiling, scuffing, edgewear, some small abrasions.
– Crisp, Quentin: The Naked Civil Servant. London Harper Perrenial, 2007. Paperback. Reading copy. Spill droplets of tea/coffee/soda on front and rear.
– Diski, Jenny: Apology for the Woman Writing. London Virago, 2009. Paperback. Appears unread.
– Doonan, Simon: Wacky Chicks. New York Simon & Schuster, 2005. Paperback. Reading copy. Soiling, edgewear, creasing, bumping.
– Doyle, Ursula: Love Letters of Great Women. London Macmillan, 2009. HC with dj. Little bit of soiling, edgewear. Two parallel burn marks on lower portion of jacket spine, one of which goes through to the spine on the cloth beneath.
– Larousse Dictionaire Poche (French-English Pocket Dictionary). Paris Larousse, 2002. Paperback. Soiling, edgewear. Price sticker on rear wrap
– Mayes, Frances: Under the Tuscan. Sun London Bantam, ca 2000s. Paperback. Unread reading copy
– Mee, Benjamin: We Bought a Zoo. London Harper, 2009. Paperback. Reading copy
Amy Winehouse’s SPORTS collection
– Amarillo Slim: Amarillo Slim in a World Full of Fat People. London Yellow Jersey Press, 2004. Paperback. Edgewear, bumping. Receipt from Oxford St flagship HMV(for several CDs and this book) laid in. Commentary: Receipt dated 6 – 10 – 05 from Oxford Circus location.
– Barker, Stuart: Evel Knievel: Life of Evel. London HarperSport, ca 2000s. Paperback. Reading copy. Phone number scrawled across the top of page 93. Page 95 is dog-earred, so (based on spine creases) that’s likely where she/the reader stopped.
– Beckham, David: My Side. London CollinsWillow, 2003. HC with dj. Some edgewear, bit of scuffing to rear panel of dj. Large read price sticker on front panel. Commentary: British tabloids often speculated about whether Amy was a football fan — and if so of which club. While her library strongly suggests she was indeed a fan, the latter question remains an open one.
– Beckham, David: My World. London Hodder & Stoughton, 2001. Paperback. Edgewear, creasing at lower front corner.
– Foley, Mick [Mankind]: Have a Nice Day: A Tale of Blood and Sweatsocks. London CollinsWillow, 2000. Paperback. Beat up reading copy. Edgewear, creasing, some interior spine splits. Commentary: As a child, Winehouse was a huge fan of professional wrestling, even once meeting her hero Chris Jericho. The interest continued into adulthood. In an outtake from AMY, where she can be heard speaking favorably about NYC’s WWE-themed restaurant.
– Keane, Roy: Keane. London Michael Joseph / Penguin, Early 2000s. HC with dj. Reading copy. Soiling, edgewear. Cocked. Top inch or so of front panel is sun-toned.
– Kervin, Alison: The WAG’s Diary. London Avon, 2008. Paperback. Edgewear, some light creasing, some soiling, esp to rear wrap.
– Levy, Shawn: The Last Playboy. London FourthEstate, 2005. Paperback. Reading copy. Two handwritten lists on versos of final two leaves. Likely invite lists for two different parties/events. Also, upper left corner of second list
surrounded by AW doodled hearts. Commentary: Winehouse plans a party, likely circa 2006. The guest list includes Kelly Osborne, Nick Shmansky (her first manager), singer Corinne Bailey Rae, DJ Bioux Hayes, radio personality Steve Wright, husband Blake Fielder- Civil, Winehouse’s father, numerous childhood friends, and others.
– O’Leary, Laurie :Ronnie Kray: A Man Among Men. London Headline, 2001. HC w/ dj. Inscribed by O’Leary: “To my good friend Bernice / with every good wish / enjoy the read / Laurie O’Leary.” Also, folded and tucked into the very back is a handwritten fan note to AW from a woman named Nicole who was visiting London from Germany. Not dated. She seems to have maybe camped out outside AW’s home for 12+ days?? She mentions hoping AW “gets well soon.” Now laid in at
front. Commentary: Laid into this biography of the notorious British mobster
(another example of her taste for true crime books) is an undated note from a German fan who apparently waited outside Winehouse’s home for more than two weeks before leaving this note. “[G]et well soon,” she writes
– Pennant, Cass / Nicholls, Andy: 30 Years of Hurt: The History of England’s Hooligan Army. London Pennant, 2007. Paperback. Reading copy. Edgewear.
– Pires, Robert: Footballeur. London Yellow Jersey Press, 2003. Paperback. Reading copy.
– Robson, Bobby: My Autobiography – Farewell but not Goodbye, Commemorative Edition. London Hodder & Stoughton, 2009. HC with dj. Little bit of edgewear but otherwise seems unread.
Amy Winehouse’s TRUE CRIME collection
– Bronson, Charlie: The Good Prison Guide. London John Blake Publishing, 2007 Paperback. Soiling, edgewear, dampstaining that’s made the stock turn yellowish (first quarter). Commentary: While there are a number of true crime books in Winehouse’s library, this one (published in 2007) was likely much more personal. Her then-husband, Blake Fielder-Civil, was sentenced in 2008 to more than two
years in prison for assault and bribery, an event that was particularly hard on the singer.
– Canning, John (ed.): Unsolved Murders and Mysteries. London Warner, ca 2000s. Paperback. Soling, edgewear, dampstaining. Clear some sort of beverage was spilled all over book (coffee tea soda), esp noticable on rear wrap.
– Godtland, Eric: True Crime Detective Magazines 1924- 1969. Köln Taschen, 2008. HC w/ dj. Edgewear, soiling.
– Kray, Reg & Ron: Our Story. London Sidgwick & Jackson, Late 1980s. HC w/ dj. Edgewear, soiling, and much dampstaining along top and bottom edges of dj.
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