2026 might not yet be through, but the year has already been a particularly stellar one for non-fiction books. As someone who prefers books I can become fully immersed in and thus fly through (no grown adult wants to be reminded of studying for their exams), I’ve been pleasantly surprised by how many of this year’s most edifying and addictive page-turners have been rooted in real-life events.
From tales of London’s criminal underworld, to a granular portrait of a divorce to how to make a generation-defining TV show while battling chronic illness, these are stories you will struggle to put down. Below, find British ’s rundown of the best non-fiction books of 2026 (so far).
If you didn’t spot someone reading Radden Keefe’s latest on the Windrush line this year, do you even live in London? This buzzy bestseller from the writer and investigative journalist is really quite astonishing. The book is, ostensibly, about a 19-year-old who fell to his death from a luxury London high-rise in 2019. In the aftermath of this tragedy, his parents discovered that he’d been posing as the son of a Russian oligarch – and had inadvertently become entangled in a criminal underworld that, in many ways, forms the fabric of the capital itself. Thoroughly researched, full of empathy and incredibly illuminating, it’s the sort of book that’ll linger long after the final page.
London Falling by Patrick Radden Keefe
The Make-Believe by Hannah Murray
Perhaps you know her as Cassie from or as Gilly from . Maybe you’ve seen her in the films or . But in 2017, the now retired actor Hannah Murray became embroiled in an international wellness cult, a life-altering experience that ultimately led to her being sectioned under the Mental Health Act and later diagnosed with bipolar disorder. Beautifully written, harrowing, unexpectedly funny in parts and genuinely jaw-dropping throughout, I haven’t stopped thinking about The Make-Believe since I finished it. I’d especially recommend the audiobook – Murray’s vivid retelling makes it completely absorbing.
In 2012, when Lena Dunham was just 25, premiered on HBO to widespread critical acclaim, fanfare and no small amount of controversy. That much we know. What we know less about is what Dunham was going through behind the scenes, and afterwards: a life-changing chronic illness, ongoing medical misogyny, and the disintegration and rebuilding of various relationships (with friends, with family, with herself). is Dunham at her very best – honest to a fault, very funny and and clear-eyed in its examination of fame, illness and what it means to live with both.
Famesick by Lena Dunham
My eyes tend to glaze over whenever I see the term “artificial intelligence” (who knew that near-sentient robots would be so incredibly boring?), but in , tech writer James Muldoon dives into one of the more interesting aspects of AI’s rise: how it’s transforming our personal relationships. From stories of those preparing to adopt children with their AI partner (yes, really), to those hoping to “resurrect” their dead love ones, as well as those relying on unregulated psychologist bots in place of therapy, Muldoon explores such themes with investigative rigour, empathy and verve.
Love Machines by James Muldoon
In 2024, novelist and essayist Siri Hustvedt’s husband of more than 40 years, Paul Auster, died. is, in the Hustvedt’s own words, “a book about Paul’s illness with lung cancer, his harrowing treatments, his death, my grief, but also the years we spent together”. Don’t be fooled into thinking is a straightforward portrait of loss, however – it’s a colourful and moving collage of memories; a story of the way time can stretch and fracture, of what it means to be with someone for most of your adult life, and how one adjusts from being a “we” to an “I”.
Ghost Stories by Siri Hustvedt
A Hymn to Life by Gisèle Pelicot
The story of Gisèle Pelicot is a well-known one. For more than a decade, her husband, Dominique Pelicot, drugged and raped her, sometimes two or three times a week, and had invited at least 72 strangers to rape her too. Like all victims of sex crimes in France, when the case went to court, she had a right to anonymity – however, in 2024, she chose to show her face. “Shame must change sides,” was her powerful rallying cry. A Hymn to Life, released earlier this year, is a memoir she describes as “a family saga” – but it’s also a story of survival, and of the globally reported trial that made her a household name.
A Hymn To Life by Gisele Pelicot
On 22 March, 2020, at the height of the pandemic, Belle Burden’s husband of 21 years informed her that he wanted a divorce. “He packed a bag, got in his Jeep and boarded a ferry,” she wrote in the viral essay that later evolved into , her widely-acclaimed memoir. “A switch had flipped. He didn’t want our house or our apartment. He didn’t want any custody of our children.” The book attempts to make sense of a scenario that plenty of women have found themselves in (their husbands offering them little to no explanation of their decision to leave). Framed by the alluring world of Martha’s Vineyard, with its country club rivalries and quiet status wars, is utterly compelling.
Strangers by Belle Burden
All The Way To The River by Elizabeth Gilbert
Yes, All The Way To The River by Elizabeth Gilbert (of fame) came out in 2025, but the paperback came out in September of this year, so I’m counting it! The journalist and author’s ninth book (and third memoir) is a tale that’ll suck you in and leave your jaw on the floor. When Gilbert’s best friend Rayya informed her that she had six months to live, Gilbert decided to profess her love, divorce her then-husband and remain by her side until the end. What she didn’t expect was that Rayya would, as she put it, “flame the fuck out”. Cue a swift descent into love addiction, drug addiction, paranoia and toxicity. A wild ride, to be sure.
All The Way To The River by Elizabeth Gilbert
The Polyester Book Of (Bad) Taste by Ione Gamble
Sometimes the best non-fiction books are actually essay collections. Enter: The Polyester Book Of (Bad) Taste, from the team behind culture zine . The subject matter of each essay varies (Pound shops, , 2010s “going out” outfits, Saturday nights of yore watching The X Factor), but what ties them together is a love for and/or reflection on anything deemed “tasteless”. The book’s got a killer roster of writers and artists, too, from Turner Prize nominee Rene Matić (who contributes a handwritten poem) to Rookie mag founder Tavi Gevinson and British writer and author Yomi Adegoke.
