HarperCollins is thrilled to announce that Killing Time, by award-winning author Jimmy Barnes, has blitzed Australian bookseller charts in its first week of release, debuting as Australia’s number 1 non-fiction book overall, number 1 in Australian non-fiction books, and number 1 in autobiography, as measured by Nielsen BookScan. Incredibly, this is the third time that Barnes has debuted at number 1, as his two previous memoirs, Working Class Boy and Working Class Man, also took out the coveted number 1 non-fiction spot right on release.
Jimmy launched his much-anticipated third book on 6 October via a special virtual launch complete with readings from Killing Time and accompanied by performances with family and friends. The first launch of its kind, it saw more than 6000 dedicated fans tuning in to share the special moment with Jimmy and the Barnes clan.
Jimmy Barnes said: ‘Killing Time is the number 1 bestseller in the biography charts at Dymocks and is Amazon Australia’s number 1 bestseller in the ‘Rock Music’ category across all formats – hardback, Kindle and audio.
Joel Naoum, Booktopia’s Non-Fiction Category Manager, said: ‘Jimmy’s done it again! We’re not surprised to see this one come in again at the top of the charts. This is such a great read and our customers obviously agree.’
Jimmy’s previous books, Working Class Boy and Working Class Man, won back-to-back ABIAs for Biography of the Year in 2017 and 2018 respectively.
I’m grateful to everyone who’s supported this new book – it’s never taken for granted. Writing all these short stories helped me pass time over a challenging year. Hopefully, reading them can do the same for other people.’
Sharyn Villaverde, Dymocks’ Merchandise Manager, said: ‘We are so pleased with our first week’s sales of Killing Time by Jimmy Barnes – once again straight to number 1 for non-fiction on release!’
Having sold more than 500,000 copies, the books have become Australian classics and established Jimmy as one of our finest storytellers.
Jim Demetriou, HarperCollins’ CEO, said: ‘Congratulations to Jimmy on another record-breaking achievement – his third book goes straight to number 1 in non-fiction and he sits near the top of the overall Australian bestseller charts this week alongside Australia’s finest writers.’
ABOUT THE BOOK
Tales of adventure, misadventure, love and loss – this collection of non-fiction short stories from the Australian rock legend turned writer is vintage Jimmy.
Outrageous, witty, warm and wise, Killing Time shares more than forty yarns reflecting an epic life – from an encounter with a soul legend in Memphis, a night in a haunted studio in upstate New York, and a doomed haircut in Thailand to a madcap misunderstanding in a Japanese ski resort, a family feud on a remote coral atoll, and an all-too-revealing appearance for a Sydney charity.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Jimmy Barnes is a Scottish-born rock singer-songwriter who grew up in Adelaide. His career, both as a solo performer and as the lead vocalist of the legendary band Cold Chisel, has made him one of the most successful and distinctive artists in Australian music history. A prolific songwriter and performer, Jimmy has been a storyteller for more than forty years, sharing his life and passions with Australians of all ages at over ten thousand gigs throughout his adopted homeland. In the process, he has amassed more number 1 albums in
Australia than The Beatles: five with Cold Chisel and twelve as a solo artist, including the iconic For the Working Class Man. Across his career Jimmy has sold over 12 million albums and he has been inducted into the ARIA
Hall of Fame twice. Jimmy’s childhood memoir, Working Class Boy, became a number 1 bestseller and won the Australian Book Industry Award (ABIA) for Biography of the Year in 2017. His sequel, Working Class Man, won him a second ABIA for Biography of the Year in 2018. He is the only author to win back-to-back ABIAs for a non- fiction title. Having sold more than 500,000 copies, the books have become Australian classics and established
Jimmy as one of our finest storytellers. The Stories & Songs live production, based on the memoirs, sold out more than a hundred shows, attracted unanimous critical acclaim and inspired the documentary film Working Class Boy, which topped the box office in late 2018. Jimmy lives in New South Wales, with his wife, Jane.