Freddie Mercury’s Unreleased Lyrics and Personal Archive Featured in New Book

A forthcoming book, *A Life in Lyrics*, set for release by HarperCollins on September 1, 2026, will showcase previously unseen material from Freddie Mercury’s personal archive, including abandoned verses for *Bohemian Rhapsody* and drafts of *Don’t Stop Me Now*. The collection, drawn from Mercury’s notebooks, was made available by Mary Austin, his former fiancée and lifelong friend, who inherited his estate after his death in 1991. Austin discovered these handwritten drafts while cataloguing items at Mercury’s London home, Garden Lodge, in 2023. The book will also include photographs from his private collection, offering fans a glimpse into the creative process of the iconic Queen frontman. Austin describes the manuscripts as a window into Mercury’s brilliant mind, evoking memories of their shared life. Additionally, the article mentions a controversial claim from another book, *Love, Freddie* by Lesley-Ann Jones, alleging Mercury had a secret daughter, referred to as ‘B,’ born in 1976. This claim, supported by a letter from B, has been met with skepticism by Austin, who denies knowledge of any such child or diaries mentioned in the book. The release coincides with what would have been Mercury’s 80th birthday, celebrating his enduring legacy in music.