Nobody Broke Your Heart: An Intimate Biography of Elliott Smith

Nobody Broke Your Heart is the revealing biography of one of the most enigmatic and revered singer-songwriters of the late 20th-century. Featuring original interviews with many of his friends and collaborators and, for the first time, with the participation of his family – many of whom speak on the record for the first time – offering rare and intimate insights into his troubled life and enduring legacy.

From his childhood in Texas, through to his settling in the counter-cultural hotbed of Portland, Oregon, to the heights of critical acclaim and an Oscar nomination, this biography captures the beauty and pain that permeated both his life and music. While honouring the profound emotional resonance of songs like “Between the Bars,” “Waltz #2 (XO),” and “Miss Misery,” the book also confronts the heartbreaking circumstances surrounding his untimely death.

More than a chronicle of tragedy, Nobody Broke Your Heart is a celebration of an artist whose delicate melodies and haunting lyrics have touched millions of fans around the world. This is the essential portrait of a tortured genius whose music continues to inspire—and whose legacy, at last, is fully illuminated.

• Publication date: 10 September 2026
• Page count: 560
• Dimensions: Height 162 mm; Width 242 mm; Thickness 48 mm
• Publisher: Faber & Faber
• Format: Hardback
• ISBN-13: 9780571387564