The Chortle Comedy Book Festival is back!

 

Ed Gamble, Lou Sanders, Sara Pascoe, Cariad Lloyd, Doon Mackichan, and Bob Cryer – son of comedy legend Barry – will all be taking part in the event, which returns to the British Library in London on March 3.

 

There are also more events to be announced in a smaller studio space, which will be hosted by Robin Ince.

 

Day tickets are on sale now here – priced £30 full price – as well as tickets for individual sessions.

 

 

Chortle Comedy Book Festival programme

 

1pm Sara Pascoe & Cariad Lloyd’s Weirdos Book Club 

​

Join comedians and authors Sara Pascoe and Cariad Lloyd in their Weirdos Book Club - a space for the lonely outsider to feel accepted and appreciated. Assisted by their comedian and writer friends, they discuss a book that is special, stimulating and – weird. Welcome to your new book club! Sara’s debut novel Weirdo is published by Faber & Faber, while Cariad’s book, You Are Not Alone, is published by Bloomsbury 

​

​

 

​

 

2.30pm Ed Gamble: Glutton - The Multi-Course Life of a Very Greedy Boy 

From a young age, comedian, Off Menu host and Great British Menu judge Ed Gamble's immaculate bibs hinted at his capacious appetite. Before he could walk, Ed already knew that he preferred poached salmon to puree, that celery was a calorie-sapping waste of time, and that mashed potatoes should be made with lashings of butter. In his new book, In Glutton - The Multi-Course Life of a Very Greedy Boy, Ed shares a relatable buffet of experiences and stories from a life lived through food.  Interviewed by Matthew Crosby.

​

​

​

​

​

4pm Barry Cryer: Same Time Tomorrow. The life and laughs of a comedy legend with his son Bob and  guest Arthur Smith 

​

When the legendary comedian Barry Cryer died in January 2022, there was a vast outpouring of grief, appreciation and anecdotes - from the general public and fellow comics alike. Now, his son, Bob Cryer, is doing what Barry's humility did not allow: revealing the story of the man behind the jokes. His book, Same Time Tomorrow? is an ode both to Barry's incredible life and to the lessons he so generously imparted on the art of comedy during his sixty-year career. 

​

​

​

​

​
5.30pm: Doon Mackichan: My Lady Parts – A Life Fighting Prejudice  

​

Doon Mackichan is best known for her comedy characters in the hugely popular Brass Eye, Smack the Pony, Two Doors Down and Toast of London – but throughout her career there are parts she’s refused to take and roles she’s been forced to play. In her book, My Lady Parts, Doon shares her experience on stage, screen and in real life, examining how our culture still expects women to adhere to certain stereotypes – and punishes those who don’t.  This is a courageous, vulnerable and empowering account of being a woman in an industry that has been exposed for its deep-rooted sexism. It is, above all, a call to reflect on – and radically rework – the implications such attitudes have for future generations.  Interviewed by Brenda Gilhooley

​

​

​

​​

7pm: Lou Sanders: What’s That Lady Doing? False Starts and Happy Endings 

Lou Sanders’ much-lauded memoir, What’s That Lady Doing?: False Starts and Happy Endings, is a book about  mistakes – and why we should de-flower shame in all its messy, complicated glory.  For Lou ‘We all have stories and I think it’s useful to share them, I think it helps unite us and in some ways it helps us release some shame. I've been alarmingly truthful and sincere, because I think society would be better if we could all be honest’. Interviewed by Harriet Kemsley.

​

​

 

​

​

​

​

​

​

​