Abdul Rahman Habib wrote
Saturday, May 13, 2023 11:00 AM
The guessing game began this week in Europe and America when a mysterious untitled book appeared on electronic sales platforms, due to be published next July, and quickly became a bestseller when Taylor Swift fans began speculating frantically that it was her surprise diary.
But the mystery was solved, as Flatiron Books published its announcement to reveal the book, which is actually the memoirs of another musical group, the famous Korean band BTS.
The book, Behind the Story: 10-Year Record of BTS, was written by journalist Myungseok Kang with the seven members of the popular idol group as an oral history about them and has been translated into English by Anton Hur, in collaboration with Clare Richards and Slin Jung.
--Rumors about the book began to circulate when American booksellers shared news that an untitled book with a massive initial print run of one million copies was coming on July 9, and that they were required to sign an affidavit to store copies on the day of the book’s publication, which was mailed to Flatiron sales staff. It will have “global appeal” and “massive publicity”, according to the Guardian.
The July 9 post date also falls two days after the release of Swift’s upcoming album Speak Now, but it’s also the 10th anniversary of the founding of BTS’s fandom Army, whose name stands for Adorable Representative MC
Speculation about the book made it a bestseller on websites like Amazon and Barnes & Noble earlier this week, as fans of both Swift and BTS placed pre-orders.
The Army is a large online fan base known for its devotion to the Korean group, with many learning Korean to help translate BTS content into English and other languages for fellow fans.
