Jenny Eclair writes her memoir

Jokes, Jokes, Jokes out this autumn

Jenny Eclair has written her memoir – entitled Jokes, Jokes, Jokes – which will be published in October.

Publishers Sphere say the book ‘charts her childhood, her career and the changing face of women in comedy.’

The comedian told trade website The Bookseller: ‘I’m delighted to bare even more of my soul to the general public. Writing Jokes, Jokes, Jokes has been a joy, and not just because it’s nice to sit down now and then, but also because it’s good to get it all down before I forget big chunks of it’.

Subtitled My Very Funny Memoir, the title has the tagline: ‘How did little Jenny Hargreaves become Jenny Eclair and elbow her way into the male dominated world of 1980s stand-up?’

Its full blurb reads: ‘Daughter of Major Derek Hargreaves (spy?) and June Hargreaves (spy's wife?) sister of Sara (born to be Head Girl) and Ben (the usurper), Jenny's comedy career took off via drama school, cider, sausage rolls, sleeping with men who looked like they lived under a carpet, punk poetry, anorexia, bedsit misery, waitressing and not really having a clue about anything.

‘This was a world before microphones, mobile phones, before everyone gave up smoking or started taking coke. Jenny Eclair was on the comedy circuit before there really was a comedy circuit and was the first woman to win the Perrier Award along the way.’

Publisher Cath Burke, deputy managing director of Little, Brown Book Group, told the Bookseller: ‘As brilliant in writing as she is in person, Jenny’s memoir is the book I’ve always wanted to read. Outrageous, eye-opening, jaw-dropping and so very, very funny, you’re going to have one helluva good time with Jenny in this book.’

Eclair has previously written four adult novels, starting with 2000’s Camberwell Beauty, as well as the 2022 young adult novel The Writing on the Wall.

Jokes, Jokes, Jokes is available to order now from Amazon, priced £25.

• The Chortle Comedy Book returns to the British Library on Sunday March 3. Get your tickets here.

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Published: 20 Feb 2024