'It made my life a frustrating, maddening rollercoaster'

Shaparak Khorsandi has written a book about her ADHD, which was only diagnosed late in life.

Scatter Brain – subtitled ‘How I finally got off the ADHD rollercoaster and became the owner of a very tidy sock draw’ – will be published on July 13.

The comedian said: ‘Some brains, through no fault of their own, pack a bag, turn the lights off and run away to the seaside the moment they are meant to be doing homework, paying bills or not putting the cat in the fridge.  These are ADHD brains. I have one and believe me they are as common as being left-handed, flat footed or genuinely enjoying anchovies on a pizza.

‘Undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder made my life a frustrating, maddening rollercoaster. I had very little focus except when I was hyper-focusing (and then it would always be on the wrong things), I made the same mistakes over and over again, regularly burning myself out until I was sobbing.

‘When I finally was diagnosed in my 40s it felt like the lights had been turned on after a lifetime in the dark.’

Sam Jackson, editorial director of Ebury Self Hub said: ‘If you have ADHD or know someone who does, there’s so much in [this book] that will be hugely helpful, and if you enjoy comedy and are a fan of Shappi then it’s a compelling and laugh-out-loud read.

Khorsandi previously wrote the childhood memoir A Beginner’s Guide To Acting English, which was published by Ebury Press in 2010 and told how her family were forced to flee Iran and gain asylum in the UK. 

She also penned the novels Nina Is Not OK in 2016 and Kissing Emma in 2021.

Published: 17 Mar 2023