Audible will be releasing two memoirs this December from comedians Mark Watson and Mark Steel.
Available exclusively on Audible from today, 8 Deaths (And Life After Them) by Mark Watson is part memoir, part self-help guide, exploring the different ‘deaths’ he has experienced throughout his life, from divorce to tough audiences, gruelling reality show challenges to unexpected career obstacles. Reflecting on these experiences, Mark explores how hard times shape us and what lessons his own low points have taught him.
Launching exclusively on Audible on 9th December, Who Do I Think I Am is the shocking true story of Mark Steel’s search for his biological parents, which took him from London to Scotland, Los Angeles and beyond. Narrated by Mark himself, Who Do I Think I Am invites listeners on a fascinating journey as he discovers a rebellious, socialist mother and a millionaire father living in the highest circles in society, and processes the events that led to his adoption. A moving, heart-breaking and often hilarious story which explores family, adoption and belonging.
8 Deaths (And Life After Them) (2nd December)
Written and narrated by Mark Watson
Mark Watson is generally accepted to be alive. And yet he’s died. In fact, he’s died loads of times.
On stage.
It’s embarrassing. Excruciating. But dying on stage isn’t the only death Mark’s suffered. There’s also been the death of his innocence. The death of that absolutely brilliant project that everyone told him was really amazing. And that time he died inside.
In this warm-hearted, hilarious memoir he takes you behind the scenes of a life - and many deaths - in comedy and beyond. From his early years on the circuit, to getting lost in the world of TV, Mark reveals everything. 8 Deaths will show you that it’s not how you die that counts – it’s how you live.
Who Do I Think I Am (9th December)
Written and narrated by Mark Steel
Growing up in humdrum Swanley in Kent with loving parents, Mark Steel had never been bothered about being an adopted child. But in later life, established as a successful comedian and writer, he decided to search for his biological parents.
What he uncovered was a story so strange, a cast of characters so eccentric and far-fetched that he was transported to social and cultural divides that spanned half the world. His mother had at first refused to have Mark adopted, while his father later went on to become a key player in Mayfair’s Clermont gambling club and reached the pinnacle of high society. What happened when Mark finally contacted both his parents is as moving as it was entirely unexpected.
As well as his own story, told in his uniquely endearing and hilarious voice, Mark delves into the more serious aspects of adoption, single motherhood and the brutality of the social attitudes of the time. He surveys the testimony of mothers and those adopted and tries to find reasons for his own mother’s crucial and agonising decision. Who Do I Think I Am is one of the funniest, most heart-breaking stories you’ll ever encounter.
About Mark Steel
Mark Steel is a comedian, author, podcaster and columnist. Steel started his career in stand-up in 1989 and since then has hosted numerous comedy shows including The Mark Steel Solution, The Mark Steel Lectures and Mark Steel’s in Town. He has made many appearances on radio and television shows as a guest panellist on shows including Mock the Week, Have I got News for You and The Graham Norton Show and has written regular columns in The Guardian, The Independent and Daily Mirror. His books include Reason’s to be Cheerful, It’s Not a Runner Bean and What's Going On? The Meanderings of a Comic Mind in Confusion.
