Viv Groskop manifesto to teach women to 'own the room'

Transworld has acquired How Women Own the Room, a "celebration of women and public speaking" by writer, stand-up comedian and TV and radio presenter Viv Groskop.

How Women Own the Room will be published in hardback on 1st November 2018. UK and Commonwealth rights to the book, subtitled The Art of Brilliant Speaking, were bought from Cathryn Summerhayes at Curtis Brown.

The book, marketed as "part self-help, part manifesto championing female speakers in the spotlight", is promised by Tranworld to be "an entertaining and illuminating analysis of the oratory skills of a variety of brilliant women from recent history". These will include political leaders, stand-up comedians, campaigners, writers and feminists. In the book, Groskop will pinpoint exactly what it is that these women do to get their audience to sit up and really listen - and then advise readers how to apply their qualities to their own lives.

"From Michelle Obama’s position of 'happy high status' and Hillary Clinton’s stillness, to Joan Rivers’s wild gesticulations and Virginia Woolf’s melodic storytelling, there’s so much to takeaway from Viv’s analysis of how these great women have captured our attention when they speak," said Transworld editorial director, Andrea Henry. 

"As a stand-up, a critic and an executive performance coach, she’s perfectly placed to write an engaging deep dive into the physicality and mindset of some of the best orators we’ve ever had the privilege to hear. We’re delighted to be working with her."

Groskop said she would draw on her own experience of what it is like to fear the spotlight and overcome that fear.

"There are now so many different ways for women to own the room and command an audience, whether it’s at work or on social media. And yet still the stereotype persists that public performance is scary and intimidating, especially for women. I’m passionate about overturning that for others in the same way I did for myself. Also, I wanted an excuse to gawp at another few thousand hours of footage of Michelle Obama," she said.