A unique mix of poetry and diary by the unofficial Poet Laureate of Twitter, the enigmatic Brian Bilston, this suburban murder mystery will appeal to fans of Adrian Mole and The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time.
Brian Bilston has been described as the Banksy of poetry and
Twitter's unofficial Poet Laureate. With over 100,000 followers on
social media, including J. K. Rowling, Ian Rankin and Grayson
Perry, Brian has become truly beloved by the Twitter community. His
poetry collection, You Took the Last Bus Home, was published by
Unbound.
Diary of a Somebody is his first novel.
Glorious. I will be astonished if I read a more original, more
inventive or funnier novel this year.
*Adam Kay*
Nobody must find out about this unique gem, because I’m giving it
to EVERYONE
*Dawn French*
Achingly funny. Without doubt it should win next year's Bollinger
Everyman Wodehouse prize for the best comic novel, even if my own
novel is in contention as well
*Jonathan Coe*
If you like a) laughing or b) words which rhyme with each other,
you will love Brian Bilston
*Richard Osman*
Not since Victoria Wood has a writer squeezed so much hilarity from
a biscuit.
*The Oldie*
How do I laugh at thee? Let me count the ways . . . If you like
sub-Carry On puns, clever parodies of famous poems and
Wittgensteinian meditations on language, you’ll love it
*Mail on Sunday*
The midlife answer to Adrian Mole? It's a big comparison to make,
in comic novel terms, but Brian Bilston - parodist and 'poet
laureate of Twitter'- is worthy . . . Laugh. Cry. Cringe.
*Stella Magazine, Sunday Telegraph*
He has a knack for playing with language but his poems are
accessible, witty and touching . . . In fact I rather regretted
reading it over just a couple of days - it would have been better
to take longer and saver it.
*The Scotsman Magazine*
A welcome reminder of the joy to be had when you put yourself in
the hands of someone who knows their way round both a joke and a
bittersweet narrative . . . Funny and ingenious
*The Times*
In a similar way to Morrissey and John Cooper Clarke, [Bilston] has
the ability to make the mundane both funny and beautiful – whether
that's taking out the bins or procrastinating on Twitter . . . A
must-read for anyone who is a fan of wordplay, puns, The Smiths and
custard creams.
*Irish News*
The English comic novel, whose death this year was announced
prematurely, is actually alive, well and in the safe hands of Brian
Bilston
*Jonathan Coe*
Highly original, genuinely funny and clever, with a gentle humanity
in between the lines. Brian Bilston should be Poet Laureate
*John O'Farrell*
Bilston is the greatest English anti-hero of our time. His poems
have delighted people on Twitter for several years, and now he's
treated us to this brilliant novel . . . This book has everything
you want from a comic novel . . . Brian Bilston is real. And I love
him
*Spectator*
The pseudonymous Brian Bilston turns the base metal of comic verse
into gold . . . Imagine a mash-up of John Cooper Clarke, Ed
Reardon’s Week and James Joyce, and you’re about halfway there . .
. Bilston is a magician with words . . . Read this novel in short
bursts, pausing to savour its individual brilliancies
*Guardian*
Brian Bilston is bringing poetry to the masses . . . topical,
witty, thoughtful
*Irish Times*
Brian Bilston is a laureate for our fractured times, a wordsmith
who cares deeply about the impact his language makes as it dances
before our eyes
*Ian McMillan*
One of the funniest novels in years . . . It also has genuine heart
- and scores of poems so witty and accomplished that, in the real
world, their author would surely be as famous as, well . . . I
predict that Brian Bilston will soon be
*Reader's Digest*
Part John Cooper Clarke, part Frank Sidebottom . . . brilliant
*Esquire*
Bilston is no stranger to crafting cleverly composed poetry
*Huffington Post*
Word play, laugh-out-loud poems and the deft skewering of office
life are part of the fun in this brilliant comic debut.
*Sunday Express*
In 1892, George and Weedon Grossmith published The Diary of a
Nobody, now a classic of comic writing. In 1978, Christopher
Matthew updated the idea. Now Brian Bilston brings us another Diary
of a Somebody and it's as fun as its predecessors.
*Daily Express*
This fun, charming novel is a fine showcase for Bilston’s
irrepressible creativity . . . It’s all done with wit, playfulness
and a sense of amused wonder at the possibilities and
idiosyncrasies of the English language, with the occasional
groanworthy pun seeming like a price well worth paying.
*Herald*
Bilston has perfected his comic voice, which brings to mind a
bitter man-child with spades of misanthropic charm and a dash of
Alan Partridge-esque pedantry. This is a comic novel of the highest
order.
*Literary Review*
An original, imaginative and funny book.
*Daily Mirror*
Part murder mystery, mainly great comic novel.
*"What We're Reading", i*
The midlife answer to Adrian Mole? It’s a big comparison to make,
in comic novel terms, but Brian Bilston is worthy. In Diary of a
Somebody, Brian makes a New Year’s Resolution to write a poem a day
for a year. Hilarious results ensue, as well as the disappearance
of a poetry (and love) rival. Laugh. Cry. Cringe
*Sunday Telegraph*
Charming, funny and touching.
*First Printing*
Sparkling with wit, intelligence and humanity.
*First Printing*
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