Comedian Jon Richardson’s ‘teenage diaries’ scooped by Sphere
Sphere, an imprint of Little, Brown Book Group, has acquired The Teenage Diaries of a Stand-Up Comedian: One Man’s Journey Into His Embarrassing Past by Jon Richardson.
Publisher Kelly Ellis bought world all-language rights from Danny Julian at Off The Kerb, with publication scheduled for 22nd October 2026 in hardback, e-book and an audiobook narrated by Richardson.
The blurb reads: “When Jon unearthed his teenage diaries among a stash of 1990s mementoes, he hesitated before opening them. What possible value could there be in revisiting the awkward, unfiltered thoughts of a 14-year-old boy, especially now, as a successful comedian, actor and father? As it turns out, quite a lot.
“In this candid memoir, Jon reconnects with his younger self – a boy growing up in an era when Oasis dominated the charts and Baywatch dominated his imagination. [But] beneath the humour lies something deeper: a raw exploration of adolescence, identity and growing up working-class with seemingly limited horizons.”
“With his trademark self-deprecating wit, Jon reflects not just on his youth, but on what it means to grow up and whether we ever really leave our younger selves behind,” the publisher says. “The Teenage Diaries of a Stand-Up Comedian will take readers on a vivid trip down memory lane but above all it is a moving reflection on how we see ourselves, then and now.”
Richardson said: “If you enjoyed the autobiographies of Anthony Bourdain, Keith Richards and Gazza, then you might want to give this one a swerve. If, on the other hand, you want a Haynes Manual for how to build and maintain a repressed stand-up comedian who once stalked a clown and described seeing ‘Titanic’ at the cinema as ‘the night my life changed forever’, then look no further!
“So much from the nineties is back with a bang, like Oasis going on tour and the Labour party winning elections, so let’s go the whole hog and bring back Blockbuster video, Tupperware parties and trousers with poppers down the side for no reason at all. Meet the boy who makes Adrian Mole look like Peter Stringfellow and I hope you’ll have plenty of laughs on the way.”
Ellis said: “It’s a privilege to work with Jon on this incredibly special memoir. This is a man famed for his razor-sharp observational humour but turning the lens on yourself is the bravest challenge of all. Jon has written a book that many people will recognise themselves in, filled with valuable lessons – many of them at Jon’s own expense – as we witness him awkwardly navigate those difficult but often ridiculous adolescent years. Told with Jon’s signature wit, it’s a book that will make you laugh until you cry and vice versa.”
