On September 14, Amy Winehouse (1983-2011) would have been 40 years old. To mark the occasion, her family is publishing a new book containing previously unpublished photos, diary entries, and handwritten letters and poems.

The work, titled “Amy Winehouse: In Her Words,” will be released on August 29, just before the singer’s special day. She died of alcohol poisoning on July 23, 2011, at just 27 years old. With her beehive hairstyle, the thick eyeliner, the many tattoos and her incomparable voice, the Briton was an icon of pop culture. The new book should now show a different picture of the star.

“We always wanted the world to know the real Amy, where she comes from and what makes her special,” her father, Mitch Winehouse (72), is quoted as saying by “People” magazine. He hopes people “get a real glimpse into Amy’s personality.”

“In every way she was just a normal North London Jewish kid doing normal kid things, going to drama classes, loving her grandma, mother, father and brother.” He further reminded of his daughter: “She was a loyal, generous friend. She would help anyone… Just a wonderful person who saw the best in everyone.”

The royalties will go to the Amy Winhouse Foundation. The charity was founded by the family twelve years ago shortly after her death on her birthday on September 14th. Projects in the USA, Great Britain and the Caribbean aim to educate young people about the dangers of drugs and alcohol and treat drug addicts.