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Nobel laureate and global education advocate Malala Yousafzai is ready to share a side of her story that the world has never seen before. The Pakistani activist has announced the release of her upcoming memoir Finding My Way, which will hit shelves on October 21.

In a heartfelt Instagram post unveiling the book’s cover, Yousafzai described this new work as her “most personal” writing yet.

“At 15 years old, the world knew my name, but no one really knew me,” she wrote. “Finding My Way is the most personal thing I’ve ever written — a messy, honest, and sometimes painfully funny memoir. It’s a story of friendship and first love, of mental health and self-discovery, of trying to stay true to yourself when everyone wants to tell you who you are. This is not the story you think you know. It’s the one I’ve been waiting to tell.”

Finding My Way promises to look beyond the headlines. According to Stylist UK, which offered an exclusive preview of the book, this memoir marks Yousafzai’s reintroduction — not as the symbol she has become, but as a young woman navigating identity, relationships, and healing.

Described by her publisher as “a story of new friendships and first love, of mental health and self-discovery,” the book reflects Malala’s desire to reclaim her narrative after years of being viewed solely through the lens of survival and activism.

Written with “humour, fierce vulnerability and piercing candour,” it follows her journey of growing up, stumbling, and finding purpose — all while the world watched.

This is the activist’s first adult memoir since her bestselling writing debut I Am Malala in 2013, which sold nearly two million copies worldwide.

In the years since, she has published many books, launched the Malala Fund to champion girls’ education globally, helmed award-winning films, and graduated from Oxford University in 2020. She also recently co-founded the Recess Fund with her husband Asser Malik, aiming to promote equity for women in sports.

Finding My Way shines a light on her more private struggles. The memoir explores her “reckless” university years, her courtship with Malik, and the emotional labour of living up to an international image. As the synopsis reveals, she “spent years struggling to find her place” and is now ready to share what that process really looked like.

In addition to I Am Malala, Yousafzai’s previous works include the children’s book Malala’s Magic Pencil and the anthology We Are Displaced: My Journey and Stories from Refugee Girls Around the World. She also curates a book club through the literary platform Literati.

Finding My Way will be published on October 21 and is now available for preorder from major booksellers. For those who think they know Yousafzai, the new memoir is an invitation to meet her all over again.