S&S acquires Fanning memoir

Simon & Schuster Australia (S&S) has acquired world rights to the memoir All Heart, by three-time world champion surfer Mick Fanning.

All Heart follows Fanning from the western suburbs of Sydney to world surfing fame. “From the tragic loss of three brothers to surviving a life-threatening shark encounter, this book explores how Mick overcame unimaginable hardships, finding strength in the face of devastating grief and fear,” said the publisher.

Stretching from Alaska to Hawaii’s North Shore, Fanning’s story is “told with raw honesty and a breakneck tempo”, and will interest surf fans as well as readers who’ve never paddled out, according to S&S.

Fanning said, “I’ve questioned myself for years about whether I needed to write another book – whether I really wanted to revisit the ecstasy of the highs, the numb discomfort of the lows, or the agonising pain of the losses. For a long time, it felt easier to leave it alone.

“But I realised there’s value in being honest about the moments that shaped me – the wins, the setbacks and the growth in between. I had to be willing to explore some of the darker chapters to understand them properly, and that process has been part of the healing. If sharing that journey helps someone else find strength or perspective in their own life, then it’s been worth telling.”

Fanning, who was born in outer Sydney’s Penrith and raised on the Gold Coast, won world titles in 2007, 2009 and 2013 and is an inductee of the Australian Sporting Hall of Fame. “His life has been shaped by experiences far beyond competition, including the passing of his three older brothers and a shark encounter during a 2015 event that was broadcast live across the globe,” said the publisher.

S&S plans to publish All Heart on 29 September 2026.

Photo Credit: Trent Mitchell

Category: Local news News Rights and acquisitions