Comedian Khorsandi’s account of living with undiagnosed ADHD goes to Ebury

Ebury Self Hub has signed comedian Shaparak Khorsandi’s Scatter Brain: How I finally got off the ADHD rollercoaster and became the owner of a very tidy sock draw.

Sam Jackson, editorial director, acquired world all language rights from Cathryn Summerhayes at Curtis Brown, for publication in summer 2023.

Undiagnosed Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) made Shaparak’s life "a frustrating, maddening rollercoaster", the synopsis begins, "with very little focus except when hyper-focusing (on the wrong things), making the same mistakes repeatedly and regularly burning out until she was sobbing. When she was finally diagnosed with ADHD in her forties, it felt like the lights had been turned on after a lifetime in the dark.”

Khorsandi, who has appeared on shows such as “Live At The Apollo”, “8 Out Of 10 Cats” and “Have I Got News For You”, and whose previous childhood memoir – A Beginner’s Guide To Acting English – was published by Ebury Press in 2010, said: “After a lifetime of stumbling around in a fog, being shut away in a world of daydreams and lost keys, I finally got some answers and am very excited to share my experiences with you. It has been both emotional and liberating to write.”

Jackson 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.”