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Lena Dunham is returning to bookshelves with “Famesick,” a new memoir set for release April 14, 2026 through Random House. The book, which has been in the works for nearly seven years, marks the writer and actor’s second major nonfiction release following 2014’s “Not That Kind of Girl,” which debuted on the New York Times bestseller list.
The new book traces the years between 2010 and 2020, when Dunham’s breakout HBO series “Girls” launched her into the center of the pop-culture conversation while she privately contended with chronic illness and the demands of constant visibility. Described by Dunham as a form of “detective work,” the memoir draws on journals, emails and reflections to piece together how ambition, fame and health collided during a turbulent decade.
The timing of the release coincides with a busy stretch for Dunham, whose newest series “Too Much” debuted on Netflix in July, and is currently directing “Good Sex,” starring Natalie Portman.
While Dunham’s first memoir “Not That Kind of Girl” debuted as a bestseller, the collection of essays sparked immediate backlash. Critics questioned the privilege and insularity of her perspective, while passages about her childhood, particularly surrounding self-described sexual experiences with her younger sister, led to intense outrage that have affected her public perception to this day. For all its controversy, the memoir cemented Dunham as a lightning rod in the culture wars of the 2010s.
Pre-order Dunham’s upcoming memoir “Famesick” on Amazon.
