Millie Bobby Brown faces backlash for new book's ghostwriter controversy

London, UK - Millie Bobby Brown has officially released her debut novel, but the release is renewing a heated debate about the ethics of celebrity authors using a largely-uncredited ghostwriter.

Millie Bobby Brown (l) has received criticism for using a ghostwriter for her debut novel, Nineteen Steps.
Millie Bobby Brown (l) has received criticism for using a ghostwriter for her debut novel, Nineteen Steps.  © Collage: Screenshot/Instagram/milliebobbybrown & IMAGO / Avalon.red

On Tuesday, the 19-year-old star released Nineteen Steps, a historical fiction novel inspired by her grandmother's experiences during World War II.

Though Brown provided the backbone of the story with her family history, her ghostwriter, author Kathleen McGurl, is responsible for putting the drafts together.

Using a ghostwriter is certainly not unheard of; after all, most celebrity-penned books are written by them.

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Still, the lack of recognition that these authors receive as the book gets heavily promoted by the credited star often stirs confusion and sometimes even frustration from readers who argue that the secret scribes deserve more obvious credit.

In the case of Brown's novel, the Stranger Things alum made no secret of her work with McGurl, even publicly thanking her with a social media tribute after the book's release.

Despite Brown's crediting of McGurl, Nineteen Steps has reignited the ongoing debate surrounding the use of ghostwriters as authors weigh in.

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Millie Bobby Brown collaborated with a ghostwriter for Nineteen Steps.
Millie Bobby Brown collaborated with a ghostwriter for Nineteen Steps.  © Screenshot/instagram/milliebobbybrown

Many took particular issue with the promotion of novels like Nineteen Steps, which sees the A-lister taking center stage while the ghostwriter's name is typically absent from the cover entirely.

When UK bookstore Waterstones promoted a book signing by Brown at their Piccadilly shop, the post was flooded with negative comments disapproving of the event.

"Beyond bizarre. 'Come to our shop, meet a famous girl from the TV, buy a book she didn't write & she'll sign it for you,'" author Tony Kent said in response to the now-deleted post.

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"She could sign sandwiches that someone else made & the crowds would be just as big. Meanwhile, there are real writers whose books don't get near the place."

Others argue that while the backlash surrounding the frequent lack of credit to ghostwriters is warranted, Brown doesn't deserve to bear the brunt of it.

"I'm so pleased debate has opened up around ghostwriters getting their names on covers/celebrities not getting to put their name on a book and pretend. BUT- I'm wary of only doing it now, over a young woman's novel, when there are MANY older male celebs who have done/are doing it," author Gytha Lodge said.

Among some of the most notable recent celebrity memoirs penned by ghostwriters (or "collaborators," as many stars prefer to call them) are Prince Harry's Spare and Michelle Obama's Becoming.

Cover photo: Collage: Screenshot/Instagram/milliebobbybrown & IMAGO / Avalon.red

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