Simon & Schuster Australia is delighted to announce that we will be publishing Unsung: A Compendium of Creativity by Australian music icon Kate Ceberano on 1 November 2023.
Unsung takes readers on an inspiring journey into a world of creativity, offering a unique perspective on Kate’s artistic process. Drawing on her lifelong experiences as a prolific musician, performer and creative soul, this beautifully illustrated memoir features all the things in life that inspire Kate: song lyrics, short stories, essays, poems, sheet music and images of her beautiful embroidered quilts, painted guitars and artworks.
Kate’s autobiographical stories are lyrical and immerse the reader in her compelling, creative mind and spirit. As a beloved figure in the Australian music industry, Kate Ceberano’s foray into writing showcases her versatility and creativity beyond the stage.
‘I'm so happy to have been able to create this book. It’s like a small wooden chest filled with paintings, quilts, songs and stories, and I hope someone will discover and muse across it, and dream about what legacy they might like to create for themselves. It’s a physical object that anchors me to an ephemeral concept. Life, our stories, our sense of belonging – these are my stories, but they could also be yours.’ Kate Ceberano
Award-winning book publisher Julie Gibbs says, ‘It’s been joyous working with Kate as she reveals to us her prose – as wonderful as her song writing – and her stunning art using paint, embroidery and textiles.’
Unsung emerged from the barriers that Kate encountered during the Covid pandemic, which served as a catalyst for her to seek out an alternative channel for her restless creative spirit. Though she had commenced recording My Life Is A Symphony with the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, Kate found herself at an artistic impasse when the pandemic put an indefinite hold on the album recording. And so, with characteristic passion, abundance and joy, Kate liberated her unsung songs. They flowed through her paintbrush as she embellished guitars, her needle as she stitched quilts to envelop her beloveds and her pen as she unfurled stories, poems and songs.
Unsung is the story of a powerful woman in her prime, but also of a reflective, romantic and vulnerable artist making sense of the universe. It’s proof of a lifetime lived in music. It’s a tribute to songs, wherever they come from and wherever they go. Unsung is poised to become a companion for aspiring artists, creative professionals and anyone looking for inspiration to feed their creativity, along with Kate’s countless fans across three generations.
AN AUSTRALIAN ICON: Kate's newest album My Life Is A Symphony is a commercial and critical hit, reaching number six on the ARIA album charts in May 2023. All the songs are written or co-written by Kate and recorded with the world-renowned Melbourne Symphony Orchestra. A national orchestra tour kicked off with a sold-out show at Hamer Hall in Melbourne and another sold-out show with Adelaide Symphony Orchestra at Festival Theatre. The show takes place in every state during the rest of 2023 and into 2024. AC/DC, Kylie Minogue, Midnight Oil and Kate Ceberano are the only Australian recording artists to achieve top ten album success across five consecutive decades.
REVERED BY HER PEERS: Kate has received extraordinary praise from her musical and artistic peers, with endorsements from Jimmy Barnes, Sia, Paul Kelly, Delta Goodrem, James Reyne, Hugh Jackman, Natalie Imbruglia, Kasey Chambers, Sir Tim Rice and more.
PERSONAL STORIES AND CELEBRATING CREATIVITY: Kate shares her own creative journey with personal photos and stories. Her songs titles form the chapter titles in the book, which delves deeper into their personal significance for Kate. Her book serves as a testament to her multifaceted talent and will resonate with individuals from various creative disciplines.
Author Biography
Singer, songwriter, performer and artist Kate Ceberano celebrated one of the most enduring and inspirational careers in Australian music with the release of her 30th album in 2023. The album My Life Is A Symphony, a collaboration with Melbourne Symphony Orchestra, went straight to the top of the charts. Over four decades she’s notched up an incredible 10 Top 10 albums, 11 Platinum and 8 Gold status, 15 Top 40 singles, 3 Countdown awards, 4 ARIA awards and over 6000 live performances.
Kate's jaw-dropping voice first came to national attention with her band I’m Talking. Their debut album Bear Witness is enshrined among Rolling Stone's 200 Greatest Australian Albums of All Time. Career highlights include her record-breaking run with John Farnham in Jesus Christ Superstar, her triple platinum debut solo pop album Brave, and her 2014 induction into the Australian Songwriters’ Hall of Fame. Kate is a musical force, an electrifying live performer and one of the greatest voices of her generation.
Unsung: A Compendium of Creativity is available to pre-order now through Simon & Schuster Australia. The book will be published on 1 November 2023.
A Compendium of Creativity
A beautiful illustrated memoir from beloved Australian musician Kate Ceberano, featuring her inspirational song lyrics, stories, paintings and embroidery, and celebrating four decades of songwriting and recording on the release of her 30th album.
Kate Ceberano is used to a hush descending as she draws breath to release that magnificent voice but when the whole world quietened in 2020, she found the silence disorientating. Without an audience or long hours of travel with her tribe of musicians, there was time to think. But what does an artist do when they can’t make art? They find a way.
With characteristic passion, abundance and joy, Kate liberated her unsung songs. They flowed through her paintbrush as she embellished guitars, her needle as she stitched quilts to envelop her beloveds and her pen as she unfurled stories, poems and songs.
In Unsung Kate muses on the people and experiences that have inspired her, on what has humbled her, what hurts and what sustains. This is the story of a powerful woman in her prime, but also of a reflective, romantic and vulnerable artist making sense of the universe. It’s proof of a lifetime lived in music. It’s a tribute to songs, wherever they come from and wherever they go.