Shirley Bassey, Diamonds are Forever: A celebration of my 50 years as

Dame Shirley Bassey has become one of the most prestigious singers of her time. Her work has inspired and influenced many, and will no doubt continue to do so for generations to come. Diamonds Are Forever is the fascinating story of Shirley Bassey told from the perspective of one her greatest fans. Mary Long first met Bassey in 1963 and since then has encountered her hundreds of times, thus developing a unique insight into the life of one of our most iconic singers. Mary Long recounts Shirley Bassey's journey from singing in the pubs and clubs of Tiger Bay, Wales, to becoming one of the all-time greats in the British music industry, performing at events such as the Oscars and the Royal Variety Show. This book will be published as a celebration of Bassey's 80th birthday and will look back on the life of this incredible artist whose music has touched so many. This book therefore, will mainly appeal to her wide fan base as well as others who enjoyed her music.

Born in Romford, Essex, in 1947, Mary Long lived with her parents until the early 1970s. During that time, she developed a talent for portrait drawing, which led to her own one-woman exhibition in London, 'Portrait Drawings of Show Business Personalities'. Later that decade she moved to Wanstead in East London, working as a laboratory technician at Queen Mary College. Her interests turned to photography and she joined a local camera club, where she met Bernard, a keen jazz photographer. In 1978 they married and set up home in Hainault, Essex. Bernard regularly contributed photographs to Jazz Journal International, sometimes accompanied by an article by Mary. In the 1980s she worked as a pharmaceutical representative. The couple took up sailing, joining London's Little Ship Club, and contributed articles to the club's magazine and Practical Boat Owner. In 1990, Mary entered the Pharmaceutical Times Short Story Competition, and her story, 'Family Practice', was published in Representatives' Stories of the Road. Life changed dramatically in 1991 when the Longs gave up work and moved to the Isle of Wight to care for Mary's parents, Mary eventually taking on the role of practice business manager at a GP surgery on the island. In 2013, she began, as she puts it, 'the wonderful experience of writing my first book, Diamonds Are Forever ... written for every reader to feel the love that lies between its pages'.