A reportedly unpublished memoir by Dolly Parton has allegedly been sold for $13 million (£9.7 million), following what has been described as a fierce bidding war between publishers.
According to a report by Page Six, executives at Folio have sold the book to Grand Central Publishing. The publication claims the deal was agreed after competing offers pushed the price beyond an initial $12 million (£8.9 million) bid.
Very little is currently known about the memoir, including when it was written, which periods of Parton’s life it covers or when it might be published.
Sources quoted by Page Six described the bidding process as “wild”, with one insider recalling the reaction to Grand Central Publishing’s initial offer.
“They were all like, ‘WTF? You have $12 million, and we aren’t beating that,’”
The source reportedly said Grand Central’s executives subsequently improved their offer.
Representatives for Parton’s estate, Folio and Grand Central Publishing have not publicly responded to the report.
Dolly Parton’s previous books
Parton has already shared aspects of her extraordinary life and career through several books.
Her recent publications include the 2025 children’s book Dolly Parton’s Billy The Kid Dances His Heart Out and Behind the Seams: My Life in Rhinestones, released in 2023.
She has also been the subject of biographies, including Martha Ackmann’s Ain’t Nobody’s Fool: The Life and Times of Dolly Parton.
A new memoir would potentially offer another account of Parton’s journey from her upbringing in Tennessee to becoming one of country music’s most celebrated performers, although the contents of the reported book have not been disclosed.
Dolly Parton’s projects beyond music
Parton has also been associated with a number of projects celebrating her life and work, including plans for an avatar show, a biopic, a docuseries, a scripted series and a documentary connected to her Broadway musical, DOLLY: A True Original Musical.
The reported memoir deal adds another potential project to that list, although neither its publication date nor its contents have been confirmed.
For now, the $13 million sale remains a report attributed to Page Six, rather than an announcement from Parton’s representatives or the publishers involved.
