You’ve seen the fourth-wall breaks. You’ve definitely seen the "Hot Priest" memes. But for some reason, when people talk about a phoebe waller-bridge book, there’s this weird, collective confusion about what actually exists.
Honestly, it’s kinda funny. People walk into bookstores expecting a 400-page memoir titled How I Conquered Hollywood While Looking Directly at the Camera, but that’s not what’s on the shelf. If you’re hunting for her work in print, you aren't looking for a novel. You're looking for scripts that read like secrets.
The "Fleabag" Bible: Why You Need The Scriptures
The main phoebe waller-bridge book everyone is actually looking for is Fleabag: The Scriptures. Released back in 2019, it’s basically the "Holy Grail" for fans of the show.
But here is the thing: it’s not just a copy-paste of the subtitles you see on your TV.
It’s a massive, hefty collection of the filming scripts from both Season 1 and Season 2. Why does that matter? Because the stage directions are where the real magic lives. In the scripts, Waller-Bridge describes Fleabag’s internal state with a level of dry, brutal honesty that even the show couldn't quite capture. You get her "afterwords" for each season, which feel like a late-night chat over too much wine. She talks about the creative burnout, the terror of writing a second season, and the specific moment she realized the "Fourth Wall" wasn't just a gimmick—it was a character.
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If you’ve ever wondered what she was thinking during that silent exchange in the confessional booth, this book is the only place you’re getting the answer. It’s raw. It’s a bit messy. It’s very her.
Is there a novel coming?
Short answer: No.
Long answer: Still no, but sort of?
There’s a persistent rumor that she’s secretly writing a debut novel. As of early 2026, there has been zero official confirmation from her camp or major publishers like Penguin Random House. She’s currently swamped with the Tomb Raider series for Prime Video and her role in the upcoming film A Big Bold Beautiful Journey.
Writing a book is a different beast. Waller-Bridge has always been a "performer-writer." Her words are designed to be spoken, breathed, and punctuated by a specific look at a lens. Moving into pure prose would be a massive shift. That said, her style—the "Phoebe-isms"—is so distinct that a novel would likely break the internet. We’re just not there yet.
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What About the "Original Play" Book?
Before the Emmys and the Bond rewrites, there was the play. If you want to see the "proto-Fleabag," you have to find the script for Fleabag: The Original Play.
It’s a much shorter read. It’s also much darker.
Basically, the TV show added layers of hope and sisterly love (thanks, Claire!). The original play is a punch to the gut. It’s a monologue. Reading it as a phoebe waller-bridge book experience is fascinating because you see the skeleton of the character before the BBC "polished" her. It’s grittier. It’s less "chic Londoner" and more "destitute disaster."
- Fleabag: The Scriptures: The one for the fans who love the "Hot Priest" and the "Hair is everything" speech.
- Fleabag: The Original Play: The one for the theater nerds and the people who want to see where the anger started.
The Killing Eve Confusion
Every few months, a thread pops up on Reddit asking if Phoebe Waller-Bridge wrote the Killing Eve books.
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She didn't.
Those were written by Luke Jennings (the Codename Villanelle series). Phoebe was the showrunner for Season 1, and she breathed that specific life into the characters, but the source material isn't hers. If you pick up those books expecting the Waller-Bridge "voice," you might be disappointed. Jennings is great, but he isn't trying to be Phoebe.
Actionable Insights for the Completist
If you’re trying to build the ultimate Waller-Bridge library, don’t just stop at the obvious stuff. Here is how you actually track down her best written work:
- Hunt for the "No Time to Die" Script: While not a standalone book by her, her "polishing" of the Bond script is legendary. Reading the screenplay and trying to spot the "Phoebe lines" is a fun game for any writer.
- Check the Edinburgh Fringe Archives: If you can find the published anthologies from the years she was performing with her company, DryWrite, you'll find short plays and sketches that have never made it to TV.
- Listen to her Audiobooks: She hasn't written a memoir, but she has narrated. Listening to her read her own scripts in The Scriptures (yes, there’s an audio version) is arguably better than reading the physical book.
Don't hold your breath for a memoir. She seems far too busy living a life worth writing about to actually sit down and write the "life story" yet. For now, we have the scripts. And honestly? They’re more than enough.
Your next move: If you already own The Scriptures, go back and read the Season 2, Episode 6 script while watching the finale. Seeing how she wrote "The Fox" on the page versus how it appeared on screen is the best masterclass in screenwriting you’ll ever get.