Dame Deborah James reaches number one with her posthumously published book

Dame Deborah James, who passed away in June, reached number one with her book, How To Live When You Could Be Dead

Dame Deborah James reaches number one with her posthumously published book

Dame Deborah James has reached number one with her posthumously published book, How To Live When You Could Be Dead.

40,878 copies were sold following its release on August 18, according to Nielsen BookScan's Total Consumer Market.

Her book was finished in the late campaigner's final weeks before her passing and became the bestselling non-fiction debut of 2022 so far.

She died on June 28 at the age of 40 surrounded by her family in June this year, following a five-year battle with bowel cancer.

Ever since her diagnosis, the star used her social media, Bowelbabe, to raise awareness of the disease and even raise money for charity.

By May of this year, Deborah revealed she was receiving end-of-life care and used her final weeks to complete her book at her parent's home.

She co-wrote the final chapters with her husband, Sebastien Bowen.

The podcast host's book explores her life living with incurable bowel cancer and how developing a positive mindset was key to helping her cope with the diagnosis.

For every copy sold in the UK, £3 will go to Dame Deborah’s BowelBabe Fund for Cancer Research UK, which has so far raised £7.5 million through its online fundraiser.

The star passed away in June

Image:

( bowelbabe/Instagram)

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.”

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Her mother Heather recently opened up about Deborah's death and revealed Dame Deborah admitted to her she didn't want to die in a late-night chat.

Recalling the conversation in an interview with BBC Breakfast, Deborah's mum said: "I can remember lying in bed, probably just about a week or so before she died.

"And she was quite poorly that night and she went, 'I do love you' and I went, 'Yeah I love you'. And she said: 'I have no regrets, you know?'

"And I went: 'that's brilliant' – how many people can say that? But, she did say 'I don't want to die' and that's the hardest, saddest part."

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