The Make-Believe

AN INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
A VOGUE, TELEGRAPH AND THE NERVE BOOK OF THE SUMMER 2026 From the actor known for Skins and Games of Thrones, a deeply intimate, shockingly honest memoir about acting, fame, mental illness and the struggle to leave a cult-like organisation whose belief in magic shattered Hannah's reality. 'Beautifully written, harrowing, unexpectedly funny and genuinely jaw-dropping' VOGUE
'An extraordinary memoir ... astonishing and brilliant' TELEGRAPH
'Startling, honest and deeply moving' THE i PAPER
'Lyrical, powerful ... an utterly exceptional memoir' ELIZABETH DAY
'Extraordinary, propulsive, immersive ... like nothing I have ever read before' DOLLY ALDERTON In 2017, Hannah Murray was a successful actor whose career had taken her to Hollywood and given her the opportunity to act with A list stars and Oscar-winning directors. But as the daily costs of acting grew, from the degradations of auditions to repeating violent scenes over and over, Hannah found herself searching for something to make her feel better. One day, a reiki healer promises her a new kind of treatment, a kind of magic, and all of a sudden Hannah's life is changed. Back in London, she becomes increasingly involved with the organisation behind the magic, an organisation whose charismatic leader, promises of secret knowledge, and increasingly complex rituals, are seductive, cult-like - and ultimately destructive, as Hannah finds herself on a week-long course from her friends and family - and her sanity falls apart. Detained in hospital, she struggles to understand the difference between what's real, and what's imagined. The result is a propulsive, shockingly honest, and extraordinarily intimate portrayal of a mind taken over the edge. From the outer edges of fame, through Hollywood film sets and London parties, Hannah's life has slowly moved from that of a successful starlet to that of a young woman seduced by the magical thinking of an organisation that promises health and happiness beyond her wildest dreams, but her reality becomes far more disturbing than she could ever have imagined. Shocking, intimate and compulsive, The Make-Believe is an ultimately uplifting and inspiring story of empathy, resilience and the power of belief. 'A memoir of real literary power ... fascinating and uniquely compelling' NAOISE DOLAN
'Intensely open-hearted and lyrical ... a stunning achievement' SOPHIE MACKINTOSH

Hannah Murray worked as an actor for over a decade, starring in E4's Skins and HBO's Game of Thrones. She studied English at Cambridge University and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. The Make-Believe is her first book.