New book out this month

Comics including Eddie Izzard, Stewart Lee and Sarah Millican have contributed to a new book about the inner workings of stand-up.

Comedian Deborah Frances-White and radio presenter Marsha Shandur interviewed performers about their 'secrets, insecurities and successes; their betes noires and their biggest fears' for Off The Mic, which is to be published at the end of the month.

Shandur said: 'While I loved hearing about their writing processes, how they found their "voice" and the best ways to deal with hecklers, my favourite part of the interviews was the breadth of advice for new comics.

'From Eddie Izzard talking about how you need to develop both your instinctive and your analytical sides, through Todd Barry telling you not to annoy other comedians, to Jim Jefferies insisting that you MUST come up with a new hour every year, "otherwise there's no point and you're only trying to get an occupation to pay the bills".

'I also love when Gary Delaney walks us through his (very intense) method of remembering an hour of one-liners.'

Also contributing are Marc Maron, Rich Hall, Mark Watson, Richard Herring, Stephen K Amos, Zoe Lyons, Marcus Brigstocke, Phill Jupitus and Greg Davies.

Off the Mic, subtitled The World's Best Stand-up Comedians Get Serious About Comedy, is to be released on August 27 by Bloomsbury Publishing. Click here to preorder.

It is being launched at the Edinburgh Fringe this week, with a panel discussion at the Pleasance Courtyard at 5.45pm on Wednesday. Free tickets are available from the venue's box office.

Published: 16 Aug 2015