Comedian Richard Herring’s cancer memoir about ‘becoming a monoball’ goes to Sphere

Sphere has signed Can I Have My Ball Back?, a new memoir from writer and comedian Richard Herring about his experience of testicular cancer and what defines masculinity and "maleness" in society.

Editorial director Rhiannon Smith bought world rights from Avalon. The book, described by the publisher as “not your typical cancer memoir”, will be published in October 2022. 

Sphere’s synopsis reads: “At the start of 2021 Richard Herring was diagnosed with testicular cancer. For a man whose output includes a stand-up tour titled ‘Talking Cock’ and who regularly interrogates our attitudes towards masculinity, it was a diagnosis that came with additional layers of complexity.

“Whether they’re nuts, or bollocks, or gonads, or family jewels; from the phrase ‘grow some balls’ to infamous WWII songs about Hitler; Rich unpicks the tangle of emotions around his own testing times.”

Smith said that while Herring has been on such a journey in the last few years, “what’s truly magic about Rich’s writing is how he manages to tell a story that is both humorous and heartfelt, that is incredibly informative, and really looks at how we think of masculinity in our society. I’ve had a ball working on the book with him, and am looking forward to it reaching readers.”