Known for his intelligent and often surreal humor, Paul Merton’s weekly appearances on BBC1’s Have I Got News For You—as well as Radio 4’s Just A Minute and his travel documentaries—have seen him become an artfully rebellious fixture in our lives for over 25 years. He also has a real story to tell. In Only When I Laugh, his rich and beautifully-observed autobiography, Paul takes us on an evocative journey from his working-class Fulham childhood to the present day. Whether writing about school days, his run-ins with the nuns, and other pupils; his disastrous first confession; his meat packing job; taking acid; leaving home to live in bedsit; his early brushes with the opposite sex—and not forgetting his repeated attempts to break into the world of comedy—Paul’s writing is always funny, poignant, and revealing. And when his star finally ascends in the atmospherically drawn 1980s alternative cabaret scene, there is a sense of excitement, energy, camaraderie, momentum, and dramatic impending success. . . And then CRASH! In an unflinching and brilliantly written section that defines the book, we experience the disorienting and terrifying sustained manic episode that he suffered which landed him in the Maudesley hospital. These, and other tougher moments, are written about candidly and with sensitivity and honesty. Yet throughout Only When I Laugh, Paul Merton succeeds in telling his life story entertainingly, with warmth, humor and a big bucket load of wit. Ultimately uplifting, it is the story of a fascinating life, brilliantly told—and one of the best memoirs of the year.

Only When I Laugh: My Autobiography

Biographies & Memoirs

Merton, Paul

Arts & Literature

Ebury Press

Known for his intelligent and often surreal humor, Paul Merton’s weekly appearances on BBC1’s Have I Got News For You—as well as Radio 4’s Just A Minute and his travel documentaries—have seen him become an artfully rebellious fixture in our lives for over 25 years. He also has a real story to tell. In Only When I Laugh, his rich and beautifully-observed autobiography, Paul takes us on an evocative journey from his working-class Fulham childhood to the present day. Whether writing about school days, his run-ins with the nuns, and other pupils; his disastrous first confession; his meat packing job; taking acid; leaving home to live in bedsit; his early brushes with the opposite sex—and not forgetting his repeated attempts to break into the world of comedy—Paul’s writing is always funny, poignant, and revealing. And when his star finally ascends in the atmospherically drawn 1980s alternative cabaret scene, there is a sense of excitement, energy, camaraderie, momentum, and dramatic impending success. . . And then CRASH! In an unflinching and brilliantly written section that defines the book, we experience the disorienting and terrifying sustained manic episode that he suffered which landed him in the Maudesley hospital. These, and other tougher moments, are written about candidly and with sensitivity and honesty. Yet throughout Only When I Laugh, Paul Merton succeeds in telling his life story entertainingly, with warmth, humor and a big bucket load of wit. Ultimately uplifting, it is the story of a fascinating life, brilliantly told—and one of the best memoirs of the year.

Humor & Entertainment

Silent Comedy

On the surface it may seem slightly surprising that a master of verbal humor should also be a devotee of silent comedy, but Paul Merton is completely passionate about the early days of Hollywood comedy and the comic geniuses who dominated it. His knowledge is awesome, his enthusiasm is infectious—and these qualities are to be found in abundance in his new book. Starting with the very earliest pioneering short films, he traces the evolution of silent comedy through the 1900s and considers the works of the genre's greatest exponents—Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, Laurel and Hardy, and Harold Lloyd—showing not only how each developed in the course of their career but also the extent to which they influenced each other. At the same time, Paul brings a comedian's insight to bear on the art of making people laugh, and explores just how the great comic ideas, routines, gags, and prat-falls worked and evolved. His first book for 10 years, this richly illustrated history of silent comedy is destined to be a classic.

Humor

Arrow

From the horrors of bedsit land and the Battersea Dogs Home to the pinnacle of success ad the stars of "Trick or Treat", The Joan Collins Fan Club presents the "true story" of Wonder Dog's life with Fanny. Weepish, lewd and outrageous, this illustrated book is the ultimate in chic. The Joan Collins Fan Club was City Limits Cabaret Act of the Year for 1987 and has starred in many TV shows.

The Joan Collins Fan Club: My Life with Fanny the Wonder Dog

Clary, Julian

Pan/Macmillan

In this spoof of the showbiz autobiography genre, Paul Merton writes of an East End childhood, the last days of the music halls, Pinewood, success in the Sixties, hard times, depression, wives, and a rise to the heady heights of success.

Paul Merton: My Struggle

On Safari with Merton Paul

Children's Books

Imprint unknown

Paul Merton's Alternative History of the Twentieth Century

Boxtree Ltd.

RANDOM HOUSE UK

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Books by Merton, Paul