Comedian Andrew O'Neill explores heavy metal for Headline

Headline has acquired a debut non-fiction title, A History of Heavy Metal, by "metalhead" and comedian Andrew O’Neill.

Commissioning editor Richard Roper acquired world rights from Vivienne Clore at the Richard Stone Partnership, for publication in March 2017.

A History of Heavy Metal is based on O’Neill’s stand-up show of the same name and publishers promise it will be "a fascinating and laugh-out-loud-funny journey through the music and its subcultures". It will feature "larger-than-life characters living to excess", from Ozzy Osbourne to the underground Norwegian black metal scene, infused with O’Neill’s passion for the genre and "brilliantly funny writing".

Roper said: "Andrew is a unique talent, and I can’t wait to see him harness the passion and creativity of his superb live show in a book that will appeal to hardcore metal-heads and the uninitiated alike."

O’Neill has appeared on "Never Mind the Buzzcocks" and has his own award-winning BBC Radio 4 stand-up show. He said: "Finally my obsession is paying off! Writing this book will involve pouring a life-long love of metal onto the page, and then doing deep research to check my facts are right, so the end result should be definitive and proper, actual funny."