© Aemen Sukkar Tom Allen writes his first novel
Common Decency is set in leafy suburbia
Tom Allen has written his first novel, ‘a love letter to suburbia’ to be published next March,
Common Decency is set on Oak Drive, ‘nestled tidily in an unassuming part of England’ where bins should be placed back in their right positions in a timely fashion and paintwork should share the same tasteful but muted palette.
However, the neighbourhood’s balanced civility is threatened when a beloved oak tree is threatened with destruction at the hands of developers.
Publishers Coronet say: ‘As tensions rise and repressed neuroses and resentments seep out, the secrets of the street's inhabitants threaten to shatter the well-ordered veneer and reveal some rather more surprising truths…’
Announcing the news on Instagram this morning, Allen said: ‘I've got a very exciting new project to tell you about. I’ve been working very hard on it for months and months.
‘It’s my debut novel. It's a journey into suburbia. That's right, that place you've passed through many times probably without even thinking about it. Well, you didn't realise just how intriguing it can actually be.’
The comedian has previously written the memoirs No Shame and Too Much, released in 2021 and 2022 respectively. The first was subtitled A Queer Life in Suburbia, and told of his upbringing in leafy Chislehurst on the borders of Kent and south-east London.
Allen will also be reading the audiobook version of Common Decency when it is released on March 12. The 320-page hardback is available to order now from Amazon, priced £20.
Published: 9 Jul 2025
