Tilda Swinton to Publish Debut Memoir 'Material Evidence' in Fall 2028

Tilda Swinton is becoming an author.

The Oscar-winning actor will publish her first memoir, titled Material Evidence, in fall 2028 through Farrar, Straus and Giroux. The publisher announced the news Thursday on its Instagram account.

Refusing the Conventional

According to the publisher's statement, the book "refuses the shape of a conventional life story, in favor of something closer to how memory actually works: associative, sensory, anchored in things."

Unlike most memoirs, Material Evidence will not follow a chronological format. Instead, Swinton will tell her story through objects.

The publisher revealed that the items appearing in the book include: "a christening dress, a letter, a wooden leg, a sweatshirt, a length of embroidery silk [and] a photograph."

The list itself reads like a poem — specific yet mysterious, suggesting how memory attaches itself to physical things rather than dates and events.

Swinton's Relationship with Memory

The form aligns closely with Swinton's long-standing artistic preoccupations. Across her film work — from Orlando to I Am Love to The Eternal Daughter — questions of identity, time, and the fluidity of memory have been central. Her frequent collaborations with directors Luca Guadagnino, Jim Jarmusch, and Joanna Hogg have repeatedly explored these themes.

Further details about Material Evidence, including a specific publication date and whether an audiobook edition is planned, have not been announced. But given Swinton's iconic voice, the prospect of her narrating her own memoir is already something to look forward to.