"'A grand storyteller who writes with surpassing compassion and insight ... She will be celebrated, by readers and writers alike, for generations to come' KHALED HOSSEINI
'One of our most revered storytellers' KATE MORTON
From the mind behind The House of the Spirits, The Wind Knows My Name and My Name is Emilia del Valle comes a guide on writing like no other. In Storytelling, renowned literary talent Isabel Allende delivers a craft-defining treatise on the art of ‘magical storytelling’.
You are a writer. This is your purpose.
Allende has been writing for over fifty years, and has sold more than seventy-seven million books. Through writing her twenty-one novels, she has developed unique strategies that have helped her surrender to the process of writing, and create distinct characters and legendary plots in the way that only Allende can. These techniques will help any aspiring writer; and now, they can help you.
In Storytelling, you will discover how to overcome fears of getting started, embrace the mysteries of magic and life in your work, feel the power of your own stories – because how can you expect to move a reader if you, the writer, aren’t moved? – and find your unique voice.
If you’re a writer – or any kind of creative – seeking guidance and inspiration, this will help you unlock your potential. If your greatest desire in the world is to create, Storytelling will lead the way.
'Isabel Allende is a literary treasure' KRISTIN HANNAH
'Allende's stories are delicate, their images akin to poetry' BARBARA KINGSOLVER P 2026 Penguin Random House USA Audio C 2026 Isabel Allende"
"Bloomsbury presents The Sum of Our Days by Isabel Allende, read by Blair Brown with a foreword read by Isabel Allende
'No amount of acrobatics can out do the absolute core of Allende's talent: her gift for writing' The Times
In the wake of the tragic death of her daughter, Paula, Isabel Allende reconstructs the painful reality of her own life.
Allende bares her soul while sharing her thoughts on love, motherhood, spirituality, addiction and memory. She recounts stories of the wildly eccentric and eclectic tribe she became a part of, and how she lovingly embraced them as a new kind of family.
Told with warmth, exceptional candour and wisdom, this remarkable memoir is as exuberant and full of life as its creator. P 2020 HarperCollins Publishers LLC C 2008 Isabel Allende"
"Bloomsbury presents Paula by Isabel Allende, read by Cynthia Farrell with a foreword read by Isabel Allende
'Allende's best work to date' New York Times
In December 1991, Isabel Allende’s daughter Paula fell into a coma. This book was written by her beside – a memoir, a family history and a letter from mother to daughter Isabel intended to give to Paula once she’d overcome her illness.
Revisiting Allende’s childhood, her early career and marriage, and the turbulent political events of 1970s Chile, Paula is an extraordinary blend of memory and retrospective, past and present. A fascinating account of the breakdown of a country and an immensely moving description of parenthood, loss and grief, this is a wholly unique narrative from an exceptional writer.
'An emotionally charged, spellbinding memoir' Washington Post P 2020 HarperCollins Publishers LLC C 1994 Isabel Allende"
"'A stunningly intimate memoir ... Allende is that rare writer whose understanding of story matches her mastery of language' ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY
Isabel Allende was raised in her grandparents’ home in Chile. Married at nineteen, she juggled countless jobs all while raising her two children. When the Chilean president, her father’s cousin Salvador Allende, was assassinated in Pinochet’s military coup, she and her family fled to Venezuela.
In this wondrous and intimate book, Isabel Allende recounts the events that shaped her and ultimately led to her becoming a writer. Exploring the role of memory and nostalgia in her life, and in her writing, she reflects on the intimate connection she has to her place of origin, and to the charming, idiosyncratic Chilean people with a violent history and an indomitable spirit."
"Bloomsbury presents Aphrodite by Isabel Allende, read by Gabra Zackman with a foreword read by Isabel Allende.
'Explores the enduring and passionate bond between the culinary and the carnal' People
A personal ode to the pleasures of food and sex, Isabel Allende brings her magical storytelling powers to exploring the intertwined sensual arts of food and love. Blending personal reminiscence with folklore from around the world, historical legends, and memorable moments from literature, Allende spices her narrative with equal portions of humour and insight, and offers suggestions, both ancient and modern, for everything from luring a lover to reviving flagging virility.
Assembling a feast of fascinating facts about the aphrodisiac powers of food and drink, Aphrodite is celebration of sensual life filled with joy and imagination and an irresistible treat for the senses. P 2020 HarperCollins Publishers LLC C 1998 Isabel Allende"
"Bloomsbury presents Daughter of Fortune by Isabel Allende, read by Blair Brown with Isabel Allende
‘If you like your passions grand and your views panoramic, then Daughter of Fortune will be irresistible’ The Times
In colonial Chile, 1832, the infant Eliza is found on the doorstep of the British Import and Export Company. Adopted by the maternal Miss Rose, she is raised dutifully, with Victorian piety and propriety. But as a young woman, Eliza falls in love with the wildly inappropriate Joaquín Andieta – and when he leaves for the gold-laden hills of California, she can’t help but follow.
With the aid of newfound friends, Eliza finds a place for herself in this burgeoning society; and while she came to California for someone else, what was once a search for love transforms into a profound discovery of her own freedom.
‘An extravagant tale by a gifted storyteller whose spell brings to life the 19th century world’ Los Angeles Times C 1999 Isabel Allende P 1999 Isabel Allende"
"Bloomsbury presents Portrait in Sepia by Isabel Allende, read by Blair Brown with Isabel Allende
‘If you were thrilled by The House of the Spirits, you'll love this’ Marie Claire
As a young girl, Aurora del Valle suffered a brutal trauma that erased the first five years of her life from her mind. Raised by her ambitious grandmother, she grows up with privilege, comfort and everything she could ask for.
But while she is free of the limitations that most other women face, she is tormented by terrible nightmares. When she finds herself alone at the end of an unhappy love affair, she decides to explore the mystery of her past, to discover what had such a devastating effect on her young life all those years ago.
Portrait in Sepia is both a magnificent historical novel set at the end of the nineteenth century in Chile and a marvellous family saga, peopled by characters from Daughter of Fortune and The House of the Spirits. This engrossing story of the dark power of hidden secrets is intimate in its probing of human character, and thrilling in the way it illuminates the complexity of family ties. P 2020 Isabel Allende C 2001 Isabel Allende"
"Bloomsbury presents Ripper by Isabel Allende, read by Edoardo Ballerini
‘A lot of fun to read’ New York Times Book Review
The Jackson women, Indiana and Amanda, are as close as a mother and daughter can be. Yet, while their bond is strong, they are as different as night and day. Indiana, a beautiful holistic healer, is a free-spirited bohemian; meanwhile her daughter, Amanda, is fascinated by the dark side of human nature.
When a string of strange murders occurs across the city, Amanda plunges into her own investigation, discovering, before the police do, that the deaths may be connected. But the case becomes all too personal when Indiana suddenly vanishes. With her mother’s life now on the line, the young detective must solve the most complex mystery she’s ever faced before it’s too late. P 2014 HarperCollins Publishers C 2014 Isabel Allende"
"Un libro lleno de vida sobre el oficio de escribir, la magia de la creación y el poder eterno de las palabras.
La palabra mágica es mucho más que una guía de escritura, es una conversación. Isabel Allende comparte los triunfos, errores y aprendizajes que los desafíos y las alegrías le han brindado a lo largo de los años. A partir de sus propias vivencias, este libro es una clase magistral para todo aquel que desee iniciar su propio viaje literario.
«La literatura es mágica: armar una historia es un proceso misterioso, orgánico, instintivo. Al escribir entro en la dimensión de los sueños, la intuición, las premoniciones; debo rendirme y dejar que los personajes hagan lo que tienen que hacer y que la historia se cuente a sí misma. Paso la mayor parte de mi tiempo sola y en silencio, como un monje en su celda. Escribir es como meditar. En la soledad recuerdo, escucho voces, tengo visiones. Mientras más callada estoy, más oigo y más veo. En el silencio de la escritura a veces me visitan espíritus —¿o serán las musas?—. Lo siento como un roce en la nuca. Al escribir me transformo en médium. La escritura para mí no es una opción, es una adicción».
Isabel Allende"
"Bloomsbury presents Maya's Notebook by Isabel Allende, read by Maria Cabezas
‘Isabel Allende enchants in Maya’s Notebook’ Vanity Fair
Neglected by her parents, nineteen-year-old Maya Nidal has grown up in Berkeley with her grandparents. When her grandfather dies of cancer, Maya's life collapses, and she finds herself in a downward spiral that eventually bottoms out in Las Vegas.
Lost in a dangerous underworld, she is caught in the crosshairs of warring forces. As she tries to make sense of the past, she unravels mysterious truths about life and about her family, and embarks on her greatest adventure: the journey into her own soul. C 2013 HarperCollins Publishers"
"Bloomsbury presents Island Beneath the Sea by Isabel Allende, read by S. Epatha Merkerson
‘A magical storyteller’ Daily Mail
It is 18th century Saint Domingue, and Tété never knew her parents. All she knows is that her mother was a slave, and that her white father’s identity will forever remain a mystery.
As a child she is sold to the plantation-owner Toulouse Valmorain, and finds herself subjected to his unwanted attentions. Still, in spite of everything, she finds community and comfort among the other slaves. And as a revolution gains momentum and opportunities surface, she can’t help but wonder: will freedom, one day, be in reach?
Powerful and moving, Island Beneath the Sea is a story of courage and hope, even in the cruellest of circumstances. C 2010 HarperCollins Publishers"
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