A book published posthumously by Dame Deborah James has debuted at number one in the UK.
How To Live When You Could Be Dead sold 40,878 copies following its release on Thursday last week, according to Nielsen BookScan’s Total Consumer Market.
The book, which was completed in the podcast host’s final weeks, also became the bestselling non-fiction debut of 2022 so far.
Dame Deborah, who was known by her social media handle Bowelbabe, died on 28 June aged 40, five years after being diagnosed with bowel cancer.
She completed the book at her parents’ home after announcing she was receiving end-of-life care in early May.
The final chapters were co-written with her husband, Sebastien Bowen.
The book explores her interest in growth mindset theory and how to have a positive mindset despite facing life’s biggest challenges.
For every copy sold in the UK, £3 will be donated to Dame Deborah’s BowelBabe Fund for Cancer Research UK.
The fund has so far raised £7.5m through its online fundraiser.
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Bowel cancer checks soar
Sam Jackson, editorial director at Vermilion books, said: “I am so thrilled that How To Live When You Could Be Dead has become the number one bestselling nonfiction book.
“It was Deborah’s dream to write a huge bestseller in the self-help space and it’s been such a privilege to help make this a reality.
“This is by far my proudest publishing moment and I am delighted that Deborah’s inspiring and transformative perspective will help so many people.”
Dame Deborah kept her one million Instagram followers up to date with her treatments after she was diagnosed in 2016.
She was praised for her candid posts about her progress and diagnosis, which included videos of her dancing her way through treatment.
She launched the You, Me and The Big C podcast with Lauren Mahon and Rachael Bland in 2018.
Shortly before she died she was made a dame, with Prime Minister Boris Johnson saying: “If ever an honour was richly deserved, this is it.”
Earlier this month it was reported that record numbers of people are having bowel cancer checks following Dame Deborah’s death.
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