Writing a Non-fiction Book: Capture Real-life Experiences

Writer and Editor Duncan Barrett grew up as an avid reader and a lover of history. After studying English literature at university he went to drama school and decided to pursue a career as an actor, while working in publishing on the side. In 2009 Duncan found a WW1 memoir in the Imperial War Museum archive that he turned into a published book, The Reluctant Tommy.

The insight he gained in writing an impactful book-length story sparked a chain of events that led him to become an author of narrative non-fiction specializing in biography and memoir. His work includes the series’ The Sugar Girls and GI Brides which he wrote with his partner and which appeared in the The Sunday Times and The New York Times bestsellers’ lists. Duncan is also known for his solo titles such as Men of Letters, which was nominated for the People's Book Prize, Hitler's British Isles, and Ronnie Le Drew's showbiz memoir Unzipped. He also writes features for The Guardian.