Mark Steel, John O’Farrell, Shappi Khorsandi and Brenda Gilhooly

Mark Steel, John O’Farrell, Shappi Khorsandi and Brenda Gilhooly have all been added to the line-up for the Chortle Book Festival.

Radio 4 favourite and Independent columnist Steel will be joining fellow comedians Robin Ince and Josie Long for a recording of their Book Shambles podcast.

And O’Farrell and Gilhooly will be taking part in another, newly-added, podcast session, speaking to writer Dave Cohen for his Sitcom Geeks programme.

O’Farrell started his career writing for such shows as Spitting Image and Have I Got News for You, he is now best known as a comic author for such books such as Things Can Only Get Worse? Twenty Confusing Years in the Life of a Labour Supporter and The Man Who Forgot His Wife. 

Gilhooly found fame in the 1990s with her comic alter-ego  Gayle Tuesday, a dim-witted ‘Page 3 stunna’. She was a writer on Harry Hill’s TV Burp and her Radio 4 sitcom Madam Mayor launched last year, in which she starred alongside Jack Dee, Harry Hill, Michelle Collins and Elis James.

The Chortle Comedy Book Festival takes place at the British Library on Sunday January 19 with authors including Adam Kay, Jenny Eclair, Count Arthur Strong and  Katy Brand.

There is also a gala stand-up gig on Friday January 17 to launch the event, featuring Shappi Khorsandi, Mae Martin, Jen Brister, Olaf Falafel and Dominic Frisby – all stand-ups who have written books.

Khorsandi has also joined the line-up on the 19th, where she will be interviewing the previously-announced Mark Thomas and Arthur Smith.

Tickets for the Sitcom Geeks session, which will take place at 7.30pm, will be available soon, as well as being part of the day tickets, which are already on sale via the British Library website.

For more details of the festival, check the event website.

Published: 3 Jan 2020