Game of Thrones star Hannah Murray (Gilly) releasing "astonishing" memoir

Hannah Murray has made memorable appearances in many movies and TV shows over the years, including Skins, Detroit and Charlie Says. But Game of Thrones fans will know her best as Gilly, a timid girl born into harsh conditions beyond the Wall who grew in strength, smarts and poise as the show went on.

Now, Hutchinson Heinemann has won the rights to publish Murray's new memoir The Make-Believe after a 13-way auction. Why were the rights to this book so contested? Well, apart from the fact that Murray will get to tell tales from behind the scenes of Game of Thrones — she appeared in seven out of eight seasons, so she probably has lots of interesting stories to share — it sounds like the book will dive into some intense aspects of Murray's life I don't think the general public is aware of. For instance, The Bookseller says that Murray was involuntarily committed after getting involved in a "wellness cult" in 2017, which would have been when she was still making Game of Thrones.

"The Make-Believe tells a deeply personal story that has lived inside me for many years and which it now feels vital to share," Murray said in a statement. "I could not be more thrilled to be working with Helen Conford, whose vision for the book aligns perfectly with mine. I’m grateful to Helen and the whole team at Hutchinson Heinemann for their belief in this book and its story, and I can’t wait to start working together."

In their own description of the book, Hutchison Heinemann makes it sound like the book will get into Murray's experiences with the wellness cult, which I had not heard of before now:

"This is the story of the blurred line between what is real, and what is an illusion; what we must accept and what we wish to be true; between solid earth beneath your feet and a world where anything is possible if you only commit. It is about the lure of those that tell us they can save us, and the deceptive structure of organizations that promise us ‘wellness’. It’s about the acting world, but also about the way all of us act, hiding our vulnerabilities from everyone except the people trained to prey on them."

The Make-Believe is due out in the summer of 2026, at least in the UK; I'm not sure if anyone has picked up the rights to release the book in the U.S. as of yet. In the meanwhile, Murray isn't the only Game of Thrones veteran putting their story down on paper. Recently, Kristian Nairn (Hodor) released Beyond the Throne: Epic Journeys, Enduring Friendships, and Surprising Tales, a book all about his life with plenty in there about his experience on the show.

It doesn't look like Murray has done much film or television work since Game of Thrones ended in 2019, with her one notable credit being a role in the horror series The Expecting in 2020. It'll be interesting to see if this book will turn a new page in her career.

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