Description

‘Mark Watson is a national treasure’ Richard Osman

Whatever I now know about life – or think I know – I found out through failure, disappointment, mortification. I’m writing it all down as much to remind myself as for anyone else – but now you’re here, I’d love you to stick around . . .

Mark Watson is generally accepted to be alive. And yet he’s died many times. Not just on stage – though he’ll tell you about that – but in other ways, too. There’s been the death of a childhood dream. The death of his panel-show career. And then there was the time he died inside and nearly lost it all . . .

Eye-opening, revealing and painfully funny, this is a book about mortification, failure and all the times life doesn’t work out as planned. But it also wisely questions whether the things we strive for – recognition, success, the approval of others – are really the things that matter. It’s a book about death that reminds us how to live.

‘Mark Watson makes the base metal of failure into comedy gold’ Adam Kay

Publisher Review

Cruel dismissals, personal mortifications, career disappointments and daggers to the heart. This is Mark Watson’s brave look at failure. Lucky it’s funny or it’d be really depressing — Danny Wallace Mark Watson’s abundant, whip-smart humour is all over every page. His honesty in this book is a tonic, a generous gift to anyone who has ever tried to “make it” — Shaparak Khorsandi Life is full of hurdles, but this hilarious book brilliantly demonstrates that we learn more by hitting them than clearing them. The world is overflowing with disappointments, but thankfully this book is not one of them — Richard Herring Mark Watson makes the base metal of failure into comedy gold — Adam Kay Mark Watson is a national treasure — Richard Osman Life is full of hurdles, but this hilarious book brilliantly demonstrates that we learn more by hitting them than clearing them. The world is overflowing with disappointments, but thankfully this book is not one of them — Richard Herring Despite Mark Watson being one of my Taskmaster enemies, I have to say this book is an absolutely gorgeous read, full of funny and heartwarming anecdotes that will make you feel better — Aisling Bea Mark Watson has always been far ahead of the curve. Generous and honest are good words to describe his work. The comedy scene is very lucky to have him — Josie Long If you’re interested in comedy (small if), you won’t find a better book than this. Mark Watson is a thoroughbred comedian. If you cut him open (big if) he would bleed comedy — Alex Horne Mark is an exceptional comedian and this insight into his process is hilarious and invaluable — Sara Pascoe Mark has always been one of those annoyingly brilliant and clever comedians, and he’s gone and done it again. Brilliant whether you’re a die-hard comedy fan or you just like the occasional chuckle — Jason Manford