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Friday 3rd July 2020

Books books books! There have been so many new books announced or published recently that we thought we'd take a specific look at them. A wide selection of autobiographies, novels and memoirs are featured below - dig in!

Books galore

Tom Allen - No Shame

Tom Allen - No Shame

Pre-order. Hardback, eBook

"When I was 16 I dressed in Victorian clothing in a bid to distract people from the fact that I was gay. It was a flawed plan."

No Shame is a funny, candid and emotional ride of a memoir by one of Britain's most popular new tranche of comics. The working-class son of a coach driver, and the youngest member of the Noel Coward Society, Tom Allen grew up in 90s suburban south London as the eternal outsider.

In these "hilarious, honest and heart breaking stories", Tom recalls observations on childhood, his adolescence, the family he still lives with, and his attempts to come out and negotiate the gay dating scene. They are written with his trademark caustic wit and warmth, and will "entertain, surprise and move you" in equal measure.

Steve Pemberton & Reece Shearsmith - Inside No. 9 - The Scripts: Series 1-3 Collector's Edition

Steve Pemberton & Reece Shearsmith - Inside No. 9 - The Scripts: Series 1-3 Collector's Edition

Pre-order. Hardback

Re-enter the darkly comic world behind the door marked 'number 9' in this limited, collector's edition of Inside No. 9 - The Scripts: Series 1-3. Containing three beautifully designed cloth-effect hardback books, this edition is an essential purchase for die-hard fans of the show, designed in close collaboration with series creators Steve Pemberton and Reece Shearsmith. The writers have signed the first book in each slipcase, and all three books feature unique end-papers inside the cover for a stunning visual continuation of their richly imagined universe. Newly-written forewords introducing each series showcase behind-the-scenes content for readers and fans. Relive your favourite moments from the show by immersing yourself in the script and stage directions, beautifully curated in this unmissable special box set.

A regular edition will also be published, in paperback and eBook forms.

Adam Kay - Dear NHS: 100 Stories To Say Thank You

Adam Kay - Dear NHS: 100 Stories To Say Thank You

Pre-order. Hardback, eBook

Curated and edited by Adam Kay, author of the multi-million-copy bestseller This Is Going To Hurt, Dear NHS: 100 Stories To Say Thank You features 100 pieces by a stellar list of household names, sharing their personal stories of the NHS, from the heartfelt to the hilarious.

All profits from the book will go to NHS Charities Together to fund vital research and projects, and The Lullaby Trust, which supports parents bereaved of babies and young children. The contributors include: Dolly Alderton, Pam Ayres, David Baddiel, Mary Beard, Frankie Boyle, Jo Brand, Kevin Bridges, Alex Brooker, Charlie Brooker, Rob Brydon, Bill Bryson, Kathy Burke, Peter Capaldi, Jimmy Carr, Bridget Christie, Emilia Clarke, Rev Richard Coles, Daisy May Cooper, Jilly Cooper, Fearne Cotton, Juno Dawson, Victoria Derbyshire, Chris Evans, Martin Freeman, and many more.

Alan Davies - Just Ignore Him

Alan Davies - Just Ignore Him

Pre-order. Paperback, Audiobook, eBook, Hardback

The story of a life built on sand. In the rain. In this compelling memoir, comedian and actor Alan Davies recalls his boyhood with "vivid insight and devastating humour".

Shifting between his 1970s upbringing and his life today, Davies moves poignantly from innocence to experience to the clarity of hindsight, always with a keen sense of the absurd. From sibling dynamics, to his voiceless, misunderstood progression through school, sexuality and humiliating 'accidents', Davies inhabits his younger mind with spectacular accuracy, sharply evoking an era when Green Shield Stamps, Bob-a-Job week and Whizzer & Chips loomed large, a bus fare was 2p - and children had little power in the face of adult motivation.

Here, there are often exquisitely tender recollections of the mother he lost at six years old, of a bereaved family struggling to find its way, and the kicks and confusion of adolescence.

Liam Williams - Homes And Experiences

Liam Williams - Homes And Experiences

Pre-order. Paperback, Hardback, eBook

Mark is going on the trip of a lifetime: a summer touring Europe in the pay of the travel company he works for. For his plus one, he turns to his idolised cousin, Paris. Everything Mark's not, Paris is a man of the world with a thirst for adventure - even his name is better than Mark's. But after a catastrophic argument, Mark finds himself setting off alone on his voyage, instead emailing an unresponsive Paris from the road.

A cocktail cruise on the Seine, mindful pastry making in Foix, a graffiti tour in Barcelona: Mark will be forced to engage with life and strangers as he never has before, with poignantly recognisable results. But questions remain: will he ever be able to have an authentic interaction? Will Paris ever reply to his emails? And crucially, will he manage to write SEO friendly copy for every place he visits?

The audiobook version of this novel, performed by a diverse cast, is already available to own.

Sofie Hagen - Happy Fat

Sofie Hagen - Happy Fat

Pre-order. Paperback

A searing and impassioned debut from comedian Sofie Hagen - who urges us to fight back and re-frame our toxic relationships with our bodies.

Sofie Hagen has always been fat. But after years of struggling with her body image and subjecting herself to countless diets, Sofie began to question the incessant body shaming and internalised fatphobia that she had always taken for granted. She started to worry less about fad diets and impossible beauty ideals and began to challenge the origins of these superficial aspirations. Happy Fat is a response to this exploration: part-memoir, part-social commentary, Sofie describes how she conquered a negative relationship with her body and provides practical tips for readers to do the same - drawing wisdom from fat liberation champions along the way.

Julie Warren - It's All In The Mind: The Life And Legacy Of Larry Stephens

Julie Warren - It's All In The Mind: The Life And Legacy Of Larry Stephens

Out now. eBook, Hardback

British popular culture would probably be very different had Larry Stephens not been born. We could now be living in a world without the Carry On films or Monty Python, and we may never have heard of Tony Hancock, Peter Sellers or Spike Milligan.

Stephens's promising career as a jazz pianist was interrupted by the war, and after serving as an officer with the commandos he moved to London and struck up a friendship with Tony Hancock, becoming the sole writer of his stage material. Hancock introduced him to Peter Sellers, Harry Secombe, Spike Milligan and Michael Bentine, and together they created The Goon Show - arguably the world's most influential comedy programme. As one of the main writers throughout its nine-year run, Stephens's experiences and acquaintances became themes and characters within the show.

But when he died in 1959, aged a horrendously young 35, his huge influence soon began to be forgotten. This, at long last, is his story.

Lee Mack - Mack The Life: The Autobiography

Lee Mack - Mack The Life: The Autobiography

Pre-order. Audiobook

Originally published way back in Autumn 2012, this year sees the first audiobook release of Lee Mack's autobiography, read by the star himself.

Have you ever wondered where comedians come from? Why is it that one person is a funny bloke down the pub while another actually makes a living by standing up in front of an audience telling jokes? And where does all that material come from? Well, young Lee McKillop used to wonder that too. Growing up in his parents' pub, small and wiry in a world of bigger and chunkier specimens, Lee quickly learned that cracking jokes was a way to get attention.

Adam Buxton - Ramble Book

Adam Buxton - Ramble Book

Pre-order. Hardback, eBook

The long-awaited, rambling, tender, and very funny memoir from Adam Buxton.

Ramble Book is about parenthood, boarding school trauma, arguing with your partner, bad parties, confrontations on trains, friendship, wanting to fit in, growing up in the 80s, dead dads, teenage sexual anxiety, failed artistic endeavours, being a David Bowie fan; and how everything you read, watch and listen to as a child forms a part of the adult you become. It's also a book about the joys of going off topic and letting your mind wander.

The audiobook version - running just shy of 11 hours - is already available to buy and download.

Chris & Rosie Ramsey - Sh**ged. Married. Annoyed.

Chris & Rosie Ramsey - Sh**ged. Married. Annoyed.

Pre-order. Audiobook, eBook, Hardback

SH**GED Saturday nights out on the tiles, undying crushes, dating like it's a competitive sport, awkward tales of dating woes, one-night stands, the walk of shame, ghosting, tears and break-ups.

MARRIED Finding 'the one', meeting their parents, first holidays and romantic weekends away, engagement rings, big moment proposals, wedding bells, the hen do, the stag, the much anticipated - and feared - best man speech, the honeymoon of a lifetime.

ANNOYED Who stacks a dishwasher like this? Empty milk cartons placed back into the fridge, pregnancy, sleepless nights, toilet seats up, toothpaste everywhere, less and less frequent date nights, DIY weekends, divorce. One minute you're spending four hours getting glammed up for a Saturday night out on the tiles, dating like it is a competitive sport and doing the walk of shame and then you meet someone, possibly even The One.

Inspired by their smash-hit podcast of the same name, Rosie and Chris Ramsey's debut book about married life will be published in September.

David Mitchell - Dishonesty Is The Second-Best Policy: And Other Rules To Live By

David Mitchell - Dishonesty Is The Second-Best Policy: And Other Rules To Live By

Pre-order. Paperback

David Mitchell's best-selling Thinking About It Only Makes It Worse, published back in 2014, must really have made people think - because everything's got worse.

We've gone from digging up Richard III to breaking up fatbergs, from Big Society to food banks, from twerking to stabbing. It's probably socially irresponsible even to try to cheer up. But if you're up for it all the same, why not dive into this brilliantly observed and witty analysis of the farce of recent years? As facts are downgraded to opinions, as customers are preyed upon by algorithm-wielding websites, cinema-goers by superheroes and children by measles, David Mitchell negotiates a path between the commercialisation of Christmas and the true spirit of Halloween.

John Cleese - Creativity: A Short And Cheerful Guide

John Cleese - Creativity: A Short And Cheerful Guide

Pre-order. eBook, Hardback, Audiobook

Creativity is usually regarded as a mysterious, rare gift that only a few possess. John Cleese begs to differ, and in this short, immensely practical and often very amusing guide he shows it's a skill that anyone can acquire.

Drawing on his lifelong experience as a writer, he shares his insights into the nature of the creative process, and offers advice on how to get your own inventive juices flowing. What do you need to do to get yourself in the right frame of mind? When do you know that you've come up with something that might be worth pursuing? What do you do if you think you've hit a brick wall?

Not only does he explain the way your mind works as you search for inspiration, he also shows that, regardless of the task you've set yourself, you can learn to be better at coming up with a promising idea, refining it and knowing when you're ready to act on it. We can all be more creative. John Cleese shows us how.

Ruth Jones - Us Three

Ruth Jones - Us Three

Pre-order. eBook, Audiobook, Hardback

Meet Lana, Judith and Catrin. Best friends since primary school when they swore an oath on a Curly Wurly wrapper that they would always be there for each other, come what may. After the trip of a lifetime, the three girls are closer than ever. But an unexpected turn of events shakes the foundation of their friendship to its core, leaving their future in doubt - there's simply too much to forgive, let alone forget. An innocent childhood promise they once made now seems impossible to keep...

Packed with all the heart and empathy that made Ruth's name as a screenwriter and now author, Us Three is a "funny, moving and uplifting" novel about life's complications, the power of friendship and how it defines us all. "Prepare to meet characters you'll feel you've known all your life - prepare to meet Us Three."

Jem Roberts - Fab Fools

Jem Roberts - Fab Fools

Pre-order. Paperback

"Part of me would sooner have been a comedian, I just don't have the guts to stand up and do it! But I would love to be in Monty Python rather than The Beatles..." - John Lennon, 1980.

There are many Beatles books out there - but NOBODY has yet told the story of the greatest band of all time's real X factor, that special something which elevated them above all their competitors - The Beatles' COMEDY. This is the last remaining untold Beatles story worth telling.

Comedy historian and official biographer of Fry & Laurie, Douglas Adams, Blackadder and I'm Sorry I Haven't A Clue, Jem Roberts has spent a decade researching the story of the Beatles' adventures in comedy to create his magnum opus - Fab Fools.

Andi Osho - Asking For A Friend

Andi Osho - Asking For A Friend

Pre-order. Audiobook, eBook, Paperback

Asking For A Friend is a "funny multi-generational novel" about three best friends who come up with a plan to solve their relationship woes once and for all.

Fed up with their love lives, Jemima, Meagan and Simi decide it's time to play the dating game by their own rules, so they're going to ditch the dating apps and ask people out in real life. The catch? They can only ask out potential dates for each other because the most important thing is that no woman gets left behind.

"Hilarious and uplifting", comedian Andi Osho's début novel features her trademark wit and will appeal to anyone who understands the power of female friendship.

Michael Spicer - The Secret Political Adviser: The Unredacted Files Of The Man In The Room Next Door

Michael Spicer - The Secret Political Adviser: The Unredacted Files Of The Man In The Room Next Door

Pre-order. eBook, Hardback

The debut novel from comedian Michael Spicer, The Secret Political Adviser imagines the life of a secret political adviser. Little is known about the secret political adviser known as the Man in the Room Next Door - only a handful of people know his real name - but this explosive journal and collection of his correspondence offers a startling insight into his life.

It reveals the elusive organisation that employs him, as well as reams of information about working with clients such as Boris Johnson, Prince Andrew and Donald Trump. From leaked documents to illicit communications, and day-to-day notes on the treacherous world he inhabits, The Secret Political Adviser is a window into the world of the most influential* political adviser on the planet.

*fictional

Romesh Ranganathan - As Good As It Gets: Life Lessons From A Reluctant Adult

Romesh Ranganathan - As Good As It Gets: Life Lessons From A Reluctant Adult

Pre-order. Hardback, Audiobook, eBook

Confronted by the realities of adulthood, Romesh Ranganathan must face an uncomfortable truth: this is not quite how he imagined it. Watching his friends descend into middle age, his waistline thicken and his finances dwindle to fund his family's middle class aspirations, Romesh reflects on the demands of daily life and the challenges of adulting in the modern world.

As he reluctantly concludes that he is indeed a grown man, Rom wrestles with the greater questions that threaten his being: Could I save my family in a crisis? Do I possess the skills to assemble flat-pack furniture? Am I too old for streetwear? Is it alright to parent my kids through the medium of Fortnite? Is celibacy the secret to a passionate marriage?

Jasper Rees - Let's Do It: The Authorised Biography Of Victoria Wood

Jasper Rees - Let's Do It: The Authorised Biography Of Victoria Wood

Pre-order. Audiobook, eBook, Hardback

Victoria Wood was a true pioneer among entertainers, earning her the rightful place as a national treasure time and time again. Her career was one of the most illustrious and wide-ranging in British comedy, and one of the greatest sadnesses following her death in 2016 was that she left the world without leaving her own full account of her life, having never written an autobiography.

"I will do it one day," she told journalist and author Jasper Rees when he first met her in 2001. "It would be about my childhood, about my first few years in showbusiness, which were really interesting and would make a really nice story."

Tragically for us that autobiography never came to pass, but now with complete and exclusive access to Victoria's extensive archive of personal and professional material, and with exclusive interviews with her family and closest friends - including Julie Walters, Dawn French, Celia Imrie and many others - Jasper Rees, who interviewed Victoria Wood more than anyone else, will finally tell her rich story in full.

Julia Davis & Vicki Pepperdine - Joan & Jericha: Why He Turns Away - Do's And Don'ts From Dating To Death

Julia Davis & Vicki Pepperdine - Joan & Jericha: Why He Turns Away - Do's And Don'ts From Dating To Death

Pre-order. Hardback, eBook

Inspired by their own hit agony-aunt-spoof podcast series, Davis and Pepperdine now present this guide to life, penned in the guise of their counsellor characters, Joan and Jericha.

"What we offer here is a lifeline, a service, much like the NHS, or perhaps more accurately, the AA. Joan and Jericha: AA for the heart. Affording you the opportunity to have a breakdown, call for a pick-up truck, stop off for a Full English whilst a hairy guy in a grubby onesie fumbles under your bonnet and tweaks at your wiring, before sending you on your way, lubricated, primed, pumped and pretty."

Daniel Sloss - Everyone You Hate Is Going To Die

Daniel Sloss - Everyone You Hate Is Going To Die

Pre-order. Audiobook, Hardback, eBook

Daniel Sloss's comedy engages, enrages, offends, makes people uncomfortable, provides solace, and gets everyone roaring with laughter - all at the same time. Dark, his first Netflix comedy special, is a brilliant, somehow laugh-out-loud funny meditation on our relationship with death.

Jigsaw, his second Netflix special, needles apart the ideas of love, romantic relationships, and marriage - and according to Sloss has caused 120 divorces and some 50, 000 break-ups (and he's got the tweets to back up those numbers). Now, in his first book, he picks up where Jigsaw left off, and goes after every conceivable kind of relationship between two people - with one's country (Daniel's is Scotland), with America, with lovers, ex-lovers, ex-lovers who you hate, ex-lovers who hate you, parents, best friends (male and female), not-best friends, children, and siblings.

Every relationship gets the full, inimitable Sloss treatment as he explains why each one is fragile and ridiculous and awful - but, just maybe, also valuable and meaningful.

Kai Humphries - Inside Daniel Sloss: Psychoanalysis Of Daniel Sloss: Tour Journal 2014

Kai Humphries - Inside Daniel Sloss: Psychoanalysis Of Daniel Sloss: Tour Journal 2014

Out now. eBook

"My name is Kai Humphries, I am a respected scientist, I have thrown my life at my work in order to study the behaviour of Scottish stand-up comedian Daniel Sloss. I went deep undercover, joining him on his tour masquerading as his support act, fooling the world I was also a stand-up comedian in order to get close enough to my subject to write this field report. A true breakthrough in modern behavioural scientific research. I hope you can learn something from my sacrifice.

"This report is a collection of my observations from travelling to 17 European cities spanning 20 days in close proximity to my patient; the findings are nothing short of extraordinary."

"This book is full of lies" - Daniel Sloss
"Absolute slander, if you publish this I'm suing you for defamation" - Daniel Sloss
"Stop asking me for a f***ing quote, I hate you" - Daniel Sloss

Chris Head - Creating Comedy Narratives For Stage And Screen

Chris Head - Creating Comedy Narratives For Stage And Screen

Pre-order. eBook, Hardback, Paperback

This accessible and engaging text covering sketch, sitcom and comedy drama, alongside improvisation and stand-up, brings together a panoply of tools and techniques for creating short and long-form comedy narratives for live performance, TV and online. Referencing a broad range of comedy from both sides of the Atlantic, spanning several decades and including material on contemporary internet sketches, it offers all kinds of useful advice on creating comic narratives for stage and screen: using life experience as raw material; constructing comedy worlds; creating comic characters, their relationships and interactions; structuring sketches, scenes and routines; and developing and plotting stories.

The book's interviewees, from the UK and the USA, feature stand-ups, sketch comics, improvisers and TV comedy producers, and include Steve Kaplan, Hollywood comedy guru and author of The Hidden Tools of Comedy, Will Hines teacher and improviser from the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and Lucy Lumsden, TV producer and former commissioner for the BBC and Sky.

Jen Brister - The Other Mother

Jen Brister - The Other Mother

Pre-order. Paperback

"I'm Jen Brister, stand-up comedian, middle-aged adolescent and, more recently, a mum. But not that mum - I'm the other one. Confused? Let's back up a bit. Two years ago, my partner (a woman - we're not solicitors) gave birth to twins. Yes. Yes. Already there's a lot to take in here: gay mums, twins, solicitors... (I know! Believe me, I'm still reeling myself.)

"Like every new parent, I had absolutely no clue what I was doing. Add 'gay' and 'non-biological' to the mix and what do you get? Not a weird box of detergent, but a panicked beige lesbian desperately Googling, 'Will my babies love me?' at 3am."

This is a "very funny, honest book" for any parent who feels they don't fit the mould of a traditional 2.4 family.

Matt Lucas - Thank You, Baked Potato

Matt Lucas - Thank You, Baked Potato

Out now. Paperback

Matt Lucas's chart-storming charity song, Thank You, Baked Potato, is now a "laugh-out-loud" picture book - perfect for self-isolation story-time. All author and publisher profits from this book go to FeedNHS, providing hot meals for thousands of critical care workers in NHS hospitals across the UK.

"Wash your hands! Stay indoors! Only visit grocery stores!" Stay safe, protect others AND support the NHS during lockdown ... with help from one very wise Baked Potato! Created by award-winning comedian Matt Lucas to raise money for FeedNHS, Thank You, Baked Potato offers important guidance for all the family ... plus plenty of self-isolation fun!

Katy Wix - Delicacy

Katy Wix - Delicacy

Pre-order. eBook, Hardback

From award-winning comedian and writer Katy Wix comes Delicacy - a different kind of memoir.

Eleven snapshots of a life - some staccato, raw and shocking, some expansive, meditative, and profound, underpinned with moments of startling humour that shatter the darkness - all beginning with a single memory. A memory of cake. The sickly royal icing marked the moment Katy found her voice. The madeira cake was the sun her group therapy sessions orbited. The 'missing cake' from a lost holiday has never let go. The Bara brith eaten in hospital after a life-altering car crash was as tough as the metal that hit her. The supermarket rock cake was where she 'practised wanting'.

"Shocking, raw, darkly funny and deeply humane", Katy Wix's exploration of trauma, grief, addiction, love, loss, memory and hope is "truly unforgettable".

For more, see our full list of new releases and products coming soon.

Thanks for reading

You can find our full comedy shop on our website at any time, and some of the best new release news, competitions and bargains on Twitter: @BritComedyShop.

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