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2nd December 2008

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Comic seeks happiness from depressing day

19.09.08 Catherine Neilan

Canongate is using the most depressing day of the year to launch a book in which stand-up comedian Laurence Shorter attempts to find "inner happiness" with the help of Mick Jagger and Archbishop Desmond Tutu.

The date, 24th January, has been singled out by a Car­diff University scientist as the darkest day of the year. People are suffering from post-Christmas debt, failed resolutions and fading memories of the holiday while the weather is often also bad.

The Optimist sees ­Shorter embark on a year-long journey, meeting, among others, Sir Richard Branson, Archbishop Tutu, Jagger and Harold Pinter, to uncover the brighter side of life.

Editor Nick Davies described the style of the "part-memoir, part-travelogue" as a cross between Dave Gorman and Jon Ronson. "The starting point is Laurence has trouble getting out of bed in the morning—struck by bad news when you turn on Radio 4, or look at the front page of the Independent with shock headlines about the price of oil, the speed of climate change, and the credit crunch," he said. "He has lost the jump-out-of-bed factor, so he decides to go out and speak to famous optimists and get them to share their secrets."

The journey focuses on whether Shorter will meet "the ultimate icon of optimism" Bill Clinton. It will be published in paperback, priced £10.99, and will be accompanied by a number of media ­initiatives. A nationwide tour is currently being developed.

Canongate has already secured a "major broadsheet" supplement feature, and is in discussions with newspapers for a regular "Optimist" column throughout January. Various publications have already pitched for serialisation, Canongate said.

As well as this, Shorter will write a regular blog, called "Diary of an Optimist" throughout January, conducting vox pops with the general public as to whether they are optimists or pessimists.

As well as being featured on the blog, this will be used as a "State of the Nation" survey for press, radio, TV and online media outlets.

Book Canongate Nick Davies Home Catherine Neilan Laurence Shorter