The late Alan Rickman wrote diaries throughout his life with the intention of publishing them one day. Now, The Dairies of Alan Rickman will bring his dream alive with a worldwide release in 2022.
While us Potterheads will always hold a special place in our hearts for Professor Snape, Rickman’s most well-known character from the Harry Potter franchise, his career spanned over 30 years and garnered international success and accolades.
First rising to fame in his late 30s, Rickman wasted no time in the industry as he breezed through roles that we’ve now come to love and appreciate.
Rickman, recognised for his distinct voice and career as a British screen and stage giant, died at the age of 69 in his home in London after battling pancreatic cancer. His passing brought widespread grief, but now it seems we’re getting a piece of the beloved actor back along with some fresh perspectives on the man he was.
The Guardian notes that Rickman began writing diaries by hand in the early 1990s following his performances with the Royal Shakespeare Company, as well as his onscreen appearance in 1991’s Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Truly, Madly, Deeply, that had kick-started his acting career.
The diaries amounted to 27 volumes of “witty, gossipy, and utterly candid” thoughts about his career and life. Publisher Canongate acquired the rights to the diaries and have announced that they will be edited down to a singular book set to be published under the title, ‘The Diaries of Alan Rickman’.
Canongate said, “He wrote his diaries as if chatting with a close friend. They provide pitch-perfect vignettes: short, pithy paragraphs painting big pictures, and offering intriguing insights into himself, his peers and the world around him. They are intimate, perceptive and very funny.”
Aside from discussing his acting career, Rickman’s diaries also reveal details of the actor’s friendship circle, political opinions, and more.
Rickman’s widow, Rima Horton, said: “I’m delighted that Canongate will be publishing Alan’s diaries, and couldn’t have wished for a finer appointment of editor than Alan Taylor. The diaries reveal not just Alan Rickman the actor, but the real Alan – his sense of humour, his sharp observation, his craftsmanship and his devotion to the arts.”
Fans of Rickman can put their minds at ease when it comes to editing the book, as Alan Taylor has experience in the field. Taylor put together The Country Diaries, which were pastoral journals by Beatrix Potter and Dorothy Wordsworth.
Taylor told The Guardian that the diaries were “Anecdotal, indiscreet. They make compulsive reading and offer a peerless insight into the daily life of a remarkable actor who was as beloved in the US as he surely was in the UK.”
While we still feel the absence of Rickman in the film industry, we’re looking forward to reviving his witty and charming persona through his diaries.
The Diaries of Alan Rickman will be available for wordwide release in 2022.
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