The Amy Winehouse Collection

[Various]: [Various], 2011. About very good overall.. Collection of almost 230 books from the library of legendary singer and songwriter Amy Winehouse - a narrative of her life and career through her personal reading, from her school days through her rise to fame and career. Winehouse was a known reader; both she and her family commented on this aspect of her personality over the years in interviews. These, her own copies of her books, make it easy to recognize the teenager who loved Salinger, the nerd who acquired numerous graphic novels, the training vocalist reading multiple Frank Sinatra biographies, and the touring musician just looking for a good read to pass the time on the road.

Among the books are well-read favorites (like Jackie Collins) and gifts from friends (such as a photobook inscribed by Dave LaChapelle, who directed her music video "Tears Dry on Their Own"). Winehouse's annotated copy of LITTLE SHOP OF HORRORS, in which she starred for a school production, shows the 1960s roots of a music and style that would go on to deeply influence her, especially on BACK TO BLACK. Fragments of lyrics and rhymes to an unfinished song are written into a copy of Allen Ginsberg's HOWL; her beloved grandmother's email is penned on a bookmark; the guest list for a party is written on the last page of one book; in another, there is an ownership stamp of one of the hospitals where Winehouse was once admitted. There are books from schools she attended (some with her annotations), books inscribed to her (including one from ex-husband Blake Fielder-Civil), and books about or by other musicians who struggled with addictions (Jimi Hendrix, Boy George, Alex James, Anthony Kiedis).

More than merely biographical, however, the collection also suggests how her reading influenced her songwriting. Too often lost in discussions of Winehouse and too easily missed in the shadow of her amazing voice is just how great a songwriter she was - a talent arguably the equal of her singing. "Meet me downstairs in the bar and hurt / Your rolled up sleeves and your skull t-shirt," she wrote with a novelist's eye for detail in "You Know I'm No Good." In that same song, the lines are almost cinematic: "Then you notice little carpet burn / My stomach drop and my guts churn / You shrug and it's the worst / Who truly stuck the knife in first" - an attention to physical characterization that would not feel out of place in a screenplay. Such influences are present throughout the books in the collection: Charles Bukowksi's alcoholic ambivalence, echoed so effectively in her biggest hit "Rehab"; the Nabokovian self-awareness of lines like "I'll be some next man's other woman soon," or Salinger's finely tuned adolescent empathy heard in the heartbreak throughout the entirety of BACK TO BLACK.

The collection was acquired at a 2021 auction by the singer's estate held to raise funds for the Amy Winehouse Foundation. The collection offered here reassembles approximately 75% of all of the books on offer that day. While it is not entirely comprehensive, it is certainly representative - and therefore important. The collection here is offered en bloc.

An intimate, tender, and revealing look into the intersection of the public, private, and creative lives of one of the most indelible musical artists of the early 21st century. Collection of 227 books, all from the library of Amy Winehouse. Mix of hardcover and paperback bindings as well as formats. A complete inventory, prospectus, and additional images are available on request. Provenance: The Estate of Amy Winehouse via Julien's Auctions, Los Angeles (Property From The Life And Career Of Amy Winehouse, November 6th and 7th, 2021). A copy of the limited edition slipcased catalogue is provided. Various conditions, but most titles well-read and used.