Daisy May Cooper pens 'wonderful' memoir for PMJ

Comedy writer and actor Daisy May Cooper has written a "wonderful and ultimately uplifting" memoir, Don't Laugh, It Will Only Encourage Her, to be released by Penguin Michael Joseph.

Publisher Charlotte Hardman has acquired world rights from Ben Dunn at Dunn Literary on behalf of The Mason Sisters. The book will be published in hardback on 28th October 2021.

The memoir will reveal life has not always been straightforward for the star, best known for her Bafta-winning portrayal of villager Kerry Mucklowe in the hit BBC Three comedy “This Country”.

Its synopsis explains: “In addition to the hilarious storytelling we know and love from Daisy, her first memoir will give an insight into life before fame, and illustrate that there is more to her than the funny woman the nation has taken to its heart. Growing up in rural poverty in Gloucestershire with her brother, Daisy had to work a myriad of low-paid, unrewarding jobs just to make ends meet. As Daisy herself says, this endearingly honest and achingly funny memoir is definitely her, 'weird way of coping … trying to turn the bleakest situation into a positive'.”

Cooper said: “When things were really bad, Mum would always say to me, ‘Don’t worry, it will be a good read for your memoir one day'. Well, it seems that one day is today! I have lived the most humiliating, ridiculous, screw-up of a shit-storm life and it has been an utter joy digging up all that shit and putting it down on paper. Therapeutic even. I’m writing this memoir because I owe it myself to tell this story. I also really the need the money as we’ve got an ant infestation that needs sorting…”

Alongside “This Country”, Cooper has featured in TV shows including “Doc Martin”, “Taskmaster” and HBO's “Avenue 5”. She also appeared in Armando Iannucci’s 2019 adaptation of David Copperfield with Dev Patel and Tilda Swinton. She has also kept one million fans entertained through her Instagram and TikTok posts over lockdown.

Hardman said: ‘‘Daisy had already taken her place in our hearts with 'This Country' but she has also become Instagram and TikTok’s stand out star during this past strange year. She has entertained us all with her parodies, her insight into how the government works, her own take on famous theme tunes and her flirtation with the Sea Captain. She has provided all of the laughs just when we all needed it most and garnered a huge following as a result.

“But Daisy’s life hasn’t always only been about making people laugh. Daisy’s memoir manages to talk openly about her family’s struggles in her childhood while also bringing all the brilliantly observed detail you expect from her humour. It is full of the most wonderful and ultimately uplifting stories. I’m delighted to be working with Daisy to bring her story to the page this autumn.”